SAS And Airbus To Research Hybrid And Electric Aircraft

SAS and Airbus have signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding for hybrid and electric aircraft eco-system and infrastructure requirements research. This is a unique cooperation to establish the requirements for the next generation of sustainable aircraft. The project aims to gain an understanding of the introduction of hybrid-electric aircraft for large-scale commercial use.

The partnership involves a joint research project where SAS and Airbus will work together to build knowledge of the opportunities and challenges regarding operations and infrastructure linked to large scale introduction of hybrid and electric aircraft in commercial traffic.

“We are proud of our ambitious sustainability work and are now pleased that Airbus has chosen SAS to partner up with us for this future project. If this becomes a reality, it will revolutionize emissions”, says Rickard Gustafson, CEO, SAS.

SAS has for decades worked to reduce emissions and worked hard and focused towards a more sustainable flying. SAS’s goal is to reduce emissions by 25 per cent by 2030, mainly by modernizing the fleet and increasing the use of biofuels. We see electric aircraft as the next step beyond the current technology.

“We are delighted to be embarking on this partnership with SAS,” said Grazia Vittadini, Airbus Chief Technology Officer. “Leveraging our respective expertise to explore the potential of hybrid-electric propulsion opportunities in our aviation eco-system.”

The collaboration also includes an ambition to involve a renewable energy supplier to ensure genuine zero emissions operations.

During the “13^th Five-Year Plan” period, domestic civil aircrafts have developed rapidly in such four major sectors as trunkliner, regional aircraft, general aviation and helicopter. Relevant data shows that China needs more than 7,000 civil aircrafts in 2017-2036, with a total value of more than USD 1 trillion. The annual average market space of China's electromechanical systems exceeds USD 8 billion. At present, the electromechanical system for aviation industry provides 11 systems, including power system, fuel system, hydraulic system, auxiliary power system and air management system, for civil aircrafts such as C919, MA60, MA700, AG600, ARJ21, Y 12, AC313, LE 500, and HO 300. The Civil Electromechanics System International Forum 2019 is committed to optimizing the electromechanical products of civil aircrafts and digital manufacturing with information technology to achieve excellence in the automation of electromechanical systems.

Under this background, the 4^th  Annual AERO ELECTROMECHANICS CHINA 2019 will be held in the city of Nanjing on October 22^nd – 23 ^rd.

 Register your interest or get in touch with marketing@galleon.cc for more details.