Hanneke Weitering is a writer and editor with AIN covering advanced air mobility and new flight technologies. She became an aviation journalist and joined the AIN team in the summer of 2022 after reporting on spaceflight and astronomy for six years at Space.com. After earning a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, she moved to New York City to pursue a master’s degree in science, health, and environmental reporting at New York University&#039;s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She is now based in Seattle near Boeing Field and spends her free time exploring nature in the Pacific Northwest.

Science & Technology Editor

Hanneke Weitering

Boeing released a free public version of its Cascade climate impact modeling tool on Wednesday. It&nbsp;allows users to explore strategies for making aviation more sustainable and quantify how different technologies might reduce, or even increase, the industry's carbon footprint.&nbsp;
​​”Cascade helps airline operators, industry partners, and policymakers see when, where, and how different fuel sources affect their sustainability goals,” said Neil Titchener, who leads the Cascade program at Boeing. “Our industry has really hard questions ahead of us, [and] we're going to have to make difficult choices. Cascade can be the conversation starter for how each decarbonization pathway can help us reach a more sustainable future.”
In the <a href="http://cascade.boeing.com/">Cascade web app</a>, users can manipulate sliding scales to explore the impact of "green" technologies, including sustainable aviation fuel&nbsp;(SAF) and next-generation aircraft, such as those powered by hydrogen and electric batteries.&nbsp;
Interestingly, because the tool accounts for the full life cycle of alternative fuel sources, it shows that simply increasing the use of these technologies does not necessarily always translate to reduced emissions. For alternative fuel sources to effectively decarbonize aviation, methods used to produce those fuels will need to use clean, renewable energy sources.&nbsp;
If, for example, you were to replace half of all single-aisle airplanes with hydrogen-powered ones, Cascade shows that this could actually increase emissions. “While there will be zero CO2 out of the tailpipe of a hydrogen airplane, it all depends on where and how that hydrogen was produced,” Titchener said Wednesday during a live demonstration of Cascade at the "Sustainable Aviation Together Forum" near Seattle.
“The idea was really to bring together energy data and aviation data, and the fact that our flights are tracked means we could model the commercial aviation system,” said&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;chief sustainability officer Chris Raymond. “Cascade sought to bring those two things together in a visual way with real energy and aviation information and then just allow the exploration of scenarios,” such as the rate of fleet renewal and the availability of SAF.&nbsp;
Cascade uses a combination of several different models, including Boeing’s own internal models as well as other models from the energy and aviation industries, “so that we can have a data-driven, collaborative discussion about how we get to net-zero [carbon emissions by 2050],” Titchener said.&nbsp;
Boeing said it has no plans to monetize the tool&nbsp;but will make updates and improvements to Cascade in the future as new data and models become available.

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

Boeing Launches Cascade Climate Impact Modeling Tool

Boeing's publicly available Cascade tool is intended to help the aviation industry see how different fuel sources affect their sustainability goals.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

ZeroAvia, Vertical Aerospace, and Rolls-Royce were among the award winners

Aerospace Technology Institute Awards Honor Innovators 

News and developments about aviation fuel, including jet fuel, aviation gasoline, and biofuel.

Improved catalytic converters slash harmful nitrogen emissions

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News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Pipistrel's Velis Electro two-seater is the only electric aircraft certified for passenger flights in the UK

UK's Electric Aircraft Fleet Grows, Mainly for Training

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

All three Las Vegas airports will give operators the choice to participate

SAF Options Abound at NBAA-BACE

Kerry Lynch

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Formation follows the creation of a Sustainable Aviation Caucus in the House

Lawmakers Form Senate Sustainable Aviation Caucus

Mark Huber

New 'green tax' applies to aircraft with 10 or more seats

Denmark's Air Pax Tax Begins in 2025

Curt Epstein

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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