Airbus - Experts & Thought Leaders

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a key element for the future reduction of air transportation’s carbon footprint, and Airbus is continuing its testing of this bio-jet fuel with a new VOLCAN flight test campaign using the best-selling A320 Family aircraft. An A321neo took off from Airbus’ headquarters in Toulouse, France with both of its engines powered by 100% unblended SAF. Since the end of February, the aircraft has been closely followed by a data-collecting airplane with the mission to gather information on non-CO2 emissions and the creation of contrails. The A321neo’s flights are the latest demonstration in the VOLCAN project, the acronym of VOL avec Carburants Alternatifs Nouveaux, French for 'Flight with new alternative fuels'. Close-formation flight with the partners Airbus’ VOLCAN partners are the French aerospace companies Safran and Dassault Aviation, along with the ONERA aeronautics research laboratory and the French Ministry of Transport. The project is co-funded by CORAC, the French Council for Civil Aeronautical Research. A321neo version powered by LEAP-1A engines from CFM International is being used for the latest tests  An A321neo version powered by LEAP-1A engines from CFM International is being used for the latest tests, and provides yet another opportunity to evaluate the potential benefits of unblended SAF versus conventional aviation fuel. This A321neo is the first Airbus single-aisle aircraft and the latest Airbus aircraft overall – following the A350 and A330MRTT – to test 100% sustainable aviation fuel on both engines. To gather the important information from this flight, a ‘chase aircraft’, a highly modified Dassault jet from the German Aerospace Center, DLR is flown within 100 meters of the A321neo, using the testbed’s sensors to capture emissions data for detailed analysis. Unblended SAF for the VOLCAN flights The VOLCAN evaluations are focused on the emissions of unblended SAF, which – unlike SAF blends that are increasingly being used in aviation – is not mixed with any fossil fuels. Analyzing the performance of unblended SAF and its promise in reducing emissions (CO2 and non-CO2) is an important step toward the decarbonization of the aviation industry, and Airbus is once again taking a key role in such forward-looking research.  Currently, all Airbus commercial and military aircraft, as well as helicopters are capable of flying with up to a 50% blend of SAF. The goal is to ensure 100% SAF capability by 2030 of these products. The potential to cut emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional jet fuel highlights the immense possibilities for SAF usage in the aviation sector.

Airbus Helicopters has partnered with the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation to develop CityAirbus NextGen’s future missions for medical services in Norway. eVTOL aircraft To this end, the parties will jointly measure the added value of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for a selection of medical services use cases across the country to integrate the operational requirements right into the configuration of Airbus’ eVTOL. Focusing on how eVTOL aircraft can be used for different types of air medical missions, Airbus Helicopters and the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation will elaborate a comprehensive roadmap toward reducing emergency response time through the researched scenarios in Norway.  strategic approach This approach could be further expanded in the region through collaboration with other countries to optimize operations To improve patient outcomes and the overall performance of the Norwegian Emergency Medical Services system, the signatories will follow a long-term strategic approach to research the complementarity of existing assets, such as conventional helicopters, and eVTOLs when the technology enters into service. This approach could be further expanded in the region through collaboration with other countries to optimize operations beyond the national healthcare system. aviation expertise Prof. Hans-Morten Lossius, Secretary General of the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, said, "Airbus’ aviation expertise across the board is a major asset to help us combine different aircraft for medical services." Prof. Hans-Morten Lossius adds, "Complementarity is a key driver in this endeavor: helicopters remain essential to perform EMS missions, while eVTOLs can bring additional capabilities to support first responders, for instance by transporting medical specialists to accident scenes or organs from one medical site to another." access effective healthcare Balkiz Sarihan, Head of Urban Air Mobility at Airbus, said, "The Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation has always been at the forefront of medical innovation, most recently with dedicated research to integrate a CT scanner into a five-bladed H145 helicopter." Balkiz Sarihan adds, "We’re looking forward to working with the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation as a strategic partner to further develop the exact missions where our eVTOL’s capabilities would contribute to protecting citizens and making sure they can access effective healthcare in Norway." emergency medical system Airbus Helicopters and the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation will drive the definition of the foundational elements As a result, the first step toward the creation of a medical eVTOL ecosystem will be the evaluation of the efficiency of the current emergency medical system in Norway, to then simulate different air medical services scenarios, integrating advanced air mobility assets. To develop the right concepts of operations for these complementary air medical missions, Airbus Helicopters and the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation will drive the definition of the foundational elements of the eVTOL ecosystem in the country, including infrastructure, traffic management, and energy sourcing and distribution. air ambulance services Operating a mixed fleet of H135 and H145, the Norwegian Air Ambulance is Norway’s national Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) operator. With more than 40 years of experience in emergency medical response, the Norwegian Air Ambulance supports pre-hospital care across the country by delivering air ambulance services to provide patients with advanced medical solutions through state-of-the-art aircraft configurations and equipment.

On behalf of the governments of France, Germany and Spain, the French General Directorate for Armament (DGA) has awarded to Dassault Aviation, Airbus, Indra, Eumet, and their industrial partners the contract for the Demonstrator Phase 1B of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS). This landmark contract, amounting to € 3.2 billion, will cover work on the FCAS demonstrator and its components for about three and a half years. Dassault Aviation, Airbus, Indra and Eumet welcome this major step forward that reflects the determination of France, Germany, and Spain to develop a powerful, innovative and fully European weapon system to meet the operational needs of the countries armed forces. R&T work and development activities Discussions held over the last months have enabled the creation of a solid basis for cooperation This contract notification comes on the heels of the signature of the industrial agreements supporting the demonstrator Phase 1B by Airbus, Dassault Aviation, Indra and Eumet as prime contractors of the program and by their industrial partners from the three nations. Discussions held over the last months have enabled the creation of a solid basis for cooperation between industry and the three governments. This continues the successful Phase 1A demonstrators’ related R&T work and development activities, which enabled the identification of key technologies and the launch of the demonstrators' developments. Paving the way for the development phase of the program, this demonstration phase 1B will allow the continuation of flying demonstrators and required cutting-edge technologies development and maturation as well as project architecture consolidation, with in-flight demonstrations targeted in the next phases by 2028-2029. Aeronautical industrial ecosystems An adapted and efficient industrial organization has been set up and built around technological pillars The program is made up of a set of systems: New Generation Fighters teaming with Remote Carriers and connected through a Combat Cloud. In order to meet the ambitions and challenges of such a program, an adapted and efficient industrial organization has been set up and built around technological pillars. Each pillar is under the leadership of an industrial champion acting as prime, working in close cooperation with its main partners and leveraging each nation’s aeronautical industrial ecosystems. In addition to their prime role per pillar, Airbus, Dassault Aviation and Indra act as national coordinators to ensure the overall coherence of the demonstrators and the overall program’s steering and work consolidation. Industrial governance of the Phase 1B The industrial governance of the Phase 1B is organized per domain as follows: NGWS Consistency, Demonstrations and Consolidation with Airbus, Dassault Aviation and Indra Sistemas as co-contracting partners New Generation Fighter (NGF), with Dassault Aviation for France as the prime contractor, and Airbus as the main partner for Germany and Spain NGF Engine with the 50/50 Joint Venture Eumet -between Safran Aircraft Engines for France and MTU Aero Engines for Germany- as prime contractor and ITP Aero for Spain as main partner Unmanned systems, Remote Carrier (RC) with Airbus for Germany as prime contractor, MBDA for France and Satnus for Spain as main partners Combat Cloud (CC) with Airbus for Germany as the prime contractor, Thales for France and Indra Sistemas for Spain as the main partners Simulation with Airbus, Dassault Aviation and Indra Sistemas as co-contracting partners Sensors with Indra Sistemas as prime for Spain, and Thales for France and FCMS for Germany as main partners Enhanced Low Observability (stealth) with Airbus as prime contractor for Spain, Dassault Aviation for France and Airbus for Germany as main partners Common Working Environment with Airbus, Dassault Aviation, Indra Sistemas and Eumet as co-contracting partners The industrial partners thank the three nations for their confidence and reiterate their firm commitment and total mobilization to make this program the armed wing of Europe's strategic autonomy thanks to the reinforcement of the operational, technological, and industrial sovereignty of its defense.