Aerospace Ambition AAMBITION

Episode 28 of the “Aerospace Ambition Podcast” featuring Eóghain Mitchison (easyJet) is out!
Talking Points
• What is the MRV, and why is it important to make aviation more sustainable?
• What should be the scope of the MRV for non-CO2 effects, and why?
• How do you perceive lobbying activities around contrail management?
• How much of a fuel penalty would easyJet be willing to pay? 
• Does easyJet measure, report and verify already?
• Who would suffer the most from a reduction in scope?
Guest
Eóghain Mitchison is a Senior Policy Manager at easyJet. He represents easyJet in discussions with the EU and national governments on technical aspects of government policy, with a focus on climate regulations. His recent work has been centered on the 'Fit for 55' package of climate legislations, including the EU SAFs mandate (ReFuelEU) and the revision of the EU ETS.
AAMBITION Newsletter
https://mailchi.mp/55033eb444bd/aambition-n

Episode 27 of the “Aerospace Ambition Podcast” featuring Prof. Manuel Soler (Carlos III University of Madrid) is out!
Talking Points
• What are the goal and scope of E-CONTRAILS?
• How can we address the delays in data availability from the Meteosat Third Generation satellite, and how will E-CONTRAILS handle this issue?
• How can neural networks assist in assessing water vapor measurements? (Question from Dr Carmen Emmel)
• Was the attention given to the topic of ground-based observation at the Pycontrails event justified?
• Is the research community overly dependent on CoCiP?
• Should the MRV place greater reliance on observational data?
Guest
Manuel Soler is a Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at UC3M in Madrid. He serves as the Director of the Doctoral Program in Aerospace Engineering, leads the UC3M Aeronautical Operations Laboratory, and co-founded the Spin-Off AI-Methods. His research focuses on mitigating the climate impact of aviation, particularly contrails. Manuel Soler has participated in numerous European projects related to contrails (e.g., FLYATM4E and ALARM, where he helped develop the ClimaCCF library). He is currently the coordinator of the E-CONTRAIL project, which aims to develop artificial neural networks (utilizing remote sensing detection methods) to predict the climate impact of contrails and aviation-induced cloudiness. This work contributes to a better understanding of the non-CO2 impact of aviation on global warming and helps reduce associated uncertainties, essential steps towards green aviation.
Linkedin Profiles
• Manuel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuel-soler-32716335/
• Marius: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariuswedemeyer/
Resources
• Abolfazl Simorgh, Manuel Soler. Pathways to Sustainable Aviation: Aligning Flight Plans with Climate Goals, 03 June 2024, PREPRINT (Version 1) available at Research Square https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4355046/v1
AAMBITION Newsletter
https://mailchi.mp/55033eb444bd/aambition-n

Episode 26 of the “Aerospace Ambition Podcast” featuring Dr Carmen Emmel & Dr Björn-Rüdiger Beckmann (Deutscher Wetterdienst) is out!
Talking Points
• What problem are you trying to solve in project MEFKON?
• Why is it so hard to sense relative humidity at cruising altitude?
• How does MEFKON relate to IAGOS?
• What can airlines offer in terms of humidity data back to the researchers on routine flights?
• What is the role of DWD in the D-KULT project, and what is the next milestone?
• On how many actual, real-world flights will the testing of contrail management be conducted on and where?
• If you were policymaker, what policies would you put in place to help optimization for contrail management?
Guests
Dr Carmen Emmel holds a PhD in atmospheric science and has spent a decade in atmospheric research and forecasting. For the past five years, she has been with the German Weather Service (Deutscher Wetterdienst, DWD), where she coordinates meteorological aircraft-based observations, such as AMDAR. She is a prominent expert in aircraft-based observations, contributing to several EUMETNET and WMO committees, particularly focusing on humidity measurements. Carmen also serves as the vice chair of the WMO's Expert Team on Aircraft Based Observations and leads the subgroup on water vapour measurements.
Dr Björn-Rüdiger Beckmann, a Senior Aviation Meteorology Expert at DWD. Björn earned his diploma in physics with a thesis in agricultural meteorology and completed his PhD in climatology impact studies on Baltic Sea storm surges. His career spans over two decades at DWD, beginning as a weather forecaster and moving into aeronautical meteorology. He focuses on commercial aviation, climate change impacts on aviation, and climate change mitigation. Björn has also contributed to the European MET community and works with various organizations on climate-optimized flying and aviation safety.
Linkedin Profiles
• Carmen & Björn: n/a
• Marius: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariuswedemeyer/
Resources
• MEFKON: https://www.dwd.de/EN/research/projects/mefkon/mefkon_node.html
• D-KULT: https://www.dwd.de/DE/fachnutzer/luftfahrt/download/produkte/luftfahrt_und_klima/d_kult_info.pdf;jsessionid=9246EC00714DD728A0974AF8A037DF81.live21061?__blob=publicationFile&v=1
AAMBITION Newsletter
https://mailchi.mp/55033eb444bd/aambition-n

Episode 25 of the “Aerospace Ambition Podcast” featuring Jeremy Thomson (BALPA) is out!
Talking Points
• What current initiatives are being implemented on the flight deck to promote more sustainable aviation and operations, and how are pilots incentivised?
• What baseline should be used to measure the efficiency and fuel penalties of contrail management?
• Who should take ownership of contrail management—should it be a centralized (ATM) or decentralized (operators/pilots) decision?
• What can tech players like Google do to make your life easier when you are avoiding contrails?
• What actions can pilots take to encourage their airlines to explore contrail avoidance?
• What measures have been introduced to make taxiing more efficient?
Guest
Jeremy Thomson is the Vice Chair of the Environment Study Group of BALPA, which is the British Airline Pilot Association. He graduated in Theoretical Physics and has held various roles in science communication and renewable energy technologies. In 2012, he began training as a short-haul airline pilot. Jeremy has been an active volunteer representative on several BALPA flight safety groups and founded their Environment Study Group in 2020. This group focuses on understanding aviation's environmental impact, exploring reduction strategies, and analyzing upcoming environmental regulations and policies and their effects on BALPA members' careers.
Linkedin Profiles
• Jeremy: n/a
• Marius: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariuswedemeyer/
Resources
• BALPA: https://www.balpa.org/
AAMBITION Newsletter
https://mailchi.mp/55033eb444bd/aambition-n

Episode 24 of the “Aerospace Ambition Podcast” featuring Sebnem Erzan (Google) is out!
Talking Points
• What is Google's role in promoting sustainable aviation?
• How does Google determine whether to open-source vs. to commercialize?
• What was the setup and outcome of Google's contrails project in 2023?
• What can others learn from Google to create a media buzz around science?
• Where is collaboration working well and where could it be improved?
• What role do consumers play in making aviation more sustainable?
• What challenges exist with including non-CO2 effects in the Travel Impact Model?
Guest
Sebnem Erzan is the Head of Travel Sustainability & Transport, Global Partnerships at Google, based in Zurich, Switzerland. With over 12 years at Google, she has held several key positions, including Head of Business Development for EMEA and Head of Channel Sales for Turkey, Middle East, and Africa. Sebnem holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Economics from the Bosphorus University, and she has completed additional executive education at Duke University and the University of Exeter. Her expertise spans strategy, business development, digital marketing, and sustainability.
Linkedin Profiles
• Sebnem: https://ch.linkedin.com/in/sebnem-erzan-4aab563
• Marius: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariuswedemeyer/
Resources
• Google Project Contrails: https://sites.research.google/contrails/
• Travel Impact Model: https://travelimpactmodel.org/
AAMBITION Newsletter
https://mailchi.mp/55033eb444bd/aambition-n

Episode 23 of the “Aerospace Ambition Podcast” featuring Jo Dardenne from Transport & Environment is out!
Talking Points
• What is T&E and what is its role in sustainable aviation?
• How do you balance economic growth with climate goals
• What would it take for T&E to recognise the efforts of SESAR as sufficiently credible to give confidence that the sector is on the right track to decarbonize?
• Why should companies prioritize synthetic fuels over crop-based biofuels for corporate travel?
• Who is lobbying and how against the MRV scheme and contrail management?
• What are the challenges and opportunities that Airbus faces in transitioning to hydrogen-powered planes and the potential impact on the environment?
• How can we go from SAF pilot projects to final investment decisions and how does the T&E e-fuel tracker help?
Guest
Jo Dardenne from “Transport & Environment” joined T&E in 2019 after spending four years at Grayling Brussels Public Affairs as a public affairs manager, where she led the transport practice. At T&E, she is the aviation director, managing sustainable aviation campaigns to mitigate the impact of this fast-growing source of greenhouse gases. Her work focuses on aviation taxation, the EU emissions trading system, and sustainable fuels. Jo graduated from ISMaPP in Paris, where she studied public and political management and communication, following three years of law studies.
Linkedin Profiles
• Jo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodardenne/
• Marius: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariuswedemeyer/
Resources
• Roadmap to climate neutral aviation in Europe https://te-cdn.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/TE-aviation-decarbonisation-roadmap-FINAL.pdf
• E-fuels for planes: with 45 projects, is the EU on track to meet its targets? https://www.transportenvironment.org/articles/e-fuels-for-planes-with-45-projects-is-the-eu-on-track-to-meet-its-targets
• Sustainable Aviation Fuels Sustainability Guide for Corporate Buyers https://www.transportenvironment.org/articles/sustainable-aviation-fuels-sustainability-guide-for-corporate-buyers
• Airbus, show us the money
https://www.transportenvironment.org/articles/airbus-show-us-the-money
• Non-CO2 emissions: NGOs, airlines and aviation industry actors call upon the European Commission to monitor non-CO2 emissions on all flights https://www.transportenvironment.org/articles/non-co2-emissions-ngos-airlines-and-aviation-industry-actors-call-upon-the-european-commission-to-monitor-non-co2-emissions-on-all-flights
AAMBITION Newsletter
https://mailchi.mp/55033eb444bd/aambition-n