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AirAsia and Airbus Announce Daring New Partnership to Revolutionize Aviation Sustainability and Slash Emissions Throughout ASEAN
Thursday, September 19, 2024
AirAsia has unveiled a brand new milestone in its long-standing alliance with Airbus, the European aerospace large, aimed toward advancing aviation sustainability initiatives and decreasing carbon emissions throughout the ASEAN area.
By a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between their sustainability groups, AirAsia and Airbus will collaborate on exploring decentralized manufacturing of Sustainable Aviation Gas (SAF) in Southeast Asia. This research-driven partnership will deal with using different feedstocks and progressive applied sciences to boost SAF provide within the area, with a watch on supporting the industrial growth of those rising tasks.
Along with SAF manufacturing, the MoU outlines plans for a joint effort to enhance air site visitors administration (ATM) and decrease CO2 emissions. This may leverage AirAsia’s main gasoline effectivity methods together with Airbus’ experience as a worldwide chief in aeronautics. Each events will consider the potential to implement superior options developed below the Single European Sky ATM Analysis (SESAR) initiative, adapting these improvements for ASEAN airspace.
Capital A Chief Sustainability Officer, Yap Mun Ching stated, “AirAsia will be a key partner of Airbus in ASEAN to test the feasibility of SAF output developed using alternative feedstock and technologies, as well as ground-breaking ATM initiatives supported by Airbus’ innovation teams. As a regional carrier based in five ASEAN countries, we bring unparalleled operational experience in the region to complement Airbus’ technological expertise. The partnership establishes a foundation upon which to build joint projects at multiple levels that address the broad needs of improving the environmental performance of the sector.”
Yap stated the partnership straight addresses the prerogative for the aviation sector to spend money on and scale up in-sector options which are vital to decarbonising the business. Aside from enhancements in effectivity and adoption of SAF, she stated a key pathway for AirAsia to realize internet zero by 2050 is by upgrading the airline’s fleet to probably the most fuel-efficient fashions.
In June, AirAsia welcomed its first new A321neo plane because the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The airline is about to obtain a further 5 plane within the fourth quarter of this yr, with plans to deploy them in Malaysia and Thailand. Beginning in 2024, all Airbus plane deliveries to AirAsia will embody a gasoline mix containing 5% Sustainable Aviation Gas (SAF).
Airbus Chief Sustainability Officer, Julie Kitcher stated, “Airbus is contributing to the decarbonisation of aviation around the world. That means working with our customers in every region, looking at all solutions available today and collaborating on research for future technologies. AirAsia is a key partner in the ASEAN region and we are excited to work with the airline to explore operational efficiency levers, including air traffic management and scaling up the production and distribution of SAF.”
AirAsia has positioned an order for 361 A321 plane to help its fleet growth and alternative plans. By 2035, these new plane are projected to cut back the airline group’s CO2 emissions by as much as 10% in comparison with 2019 ranges. Extra reductions of 15% are anticipated by way of improved operational efficiencies and using Sustainable Aviation Gas (SAF), as AirAsia targets net-zero emissions by 2050.
In 2023, AirAsia efficiently prevented emitting 130,000 tonnes of CO2 throughout its narrowbody regional community by implementing over 20 operational effectivity initiatives. This discount is equal to the environmental impression of planting greater than 2 million timber**. These measures additionally resulted in important monetary financial savings, together with $40 million in gasoline prices and over $388,000 in shadow carbon prices.
