This year’s biennial air show, ILA Berlin, was an event of superlatives. Around 600 exhibitors from 31 countries ran stands, booths, or entire halls, as in the case of Airbus, Diehl or European defense giant, MBDA. In addition to the many presentations and panel discussions, the daily air shows also provided numerous visual highlights for exhibitors and, at the weekend [08. – 09. June 2024], for the general public. They came in large numbers, the organizer speaks of 95,000 attendees, attracted by the fascination of aviation. The next ILA Berlin takes place from 10. – 14. June 2026.

The organizers of Messe Berlin placed the event focus on innovation, new technology, and sustainability. Three hot topics offering many takeaways and thus making it a trade show well worth attending. Mario Tobias, CEO of Messe Berlin, highlighted this in his summary: “This year, ILA Berlin has grown and become more international, underlining its role as Europe’s leading innovative trade fair for the aerospace industry. We welcomed exhibitors from all over the world – both long-standing partners and those new to the show or back after a long break. ILA mirrors the entire range of products of the industry and its value chain and is the ideal platform for dialogue and finding out about the latest trends in aviation and technical innovations.”

The use of H2 must be embedded in an overarching concept
Speaking of trends, ILA showcased remarkable concepts and projects aimed at replacing fossil fuel by green hydrogen in order to decarbonize the aviation sector. This is not just about the fuel as an energy source for aircraft, but a complete package that must be taken into consideration. During a panel, Nicole Dreyer-Langlet, VP Technical & Engineering Germany and Member of the Board of Management at Airbus, made clear what this entails: “In addition to the future fueling of aircraft with H2, it is also about fast refueling times, the storage of sufficient quantities of hydrogen at airports, the transfer of specialist knowledge to ground handling personnel, and high investments by all stakeholders in the conversion from fossil fuel to climate-neutral fuels.” To this end, the manager announced that Airbus will be setting up demonstrations in Scandinavia, New Zealand, Singapore, Paris, and Stuttgart, to impart knowledge and skills to staff on how to handle green hydrogen properly and safely. Ms. Dreyer-Langlet also confirmed that a first H2 powered Airbus jetliner will be airborne by 2035. This is an important statement, as there were indications in the ILA run-up that Airbus could postpone this date by several years.

ILA gives talent a forum
On the last day of the exhibition, the focus was on the Talent Hub. It was aimed at bringing gifted people of all ages and backgrounds together with representatives of the industry. 40 exhibitors from all sectors of the aviation industry took part in the Talent Hub. Around 1,500 participants attended, including students and school children, but also career changers and experienced professionals looking for new challenges and job opportunities.
The Talent Shop is noteworthy because when it comes to attracting young talent, aviation is in fierce competition with IT companies, automotive manufacturers, and the pharmaceutical industry, to name just three examples. A study by Maastricht University in the Netherlands, found that only 1.7% of the students surveyed could imagine working for an aerospace company one day. In contrast, 7.3% were interested in a future job in the IT sector, and 6.1% in the automotive industry.

Air freight was part of ILA
Even though the military presence was significantly higher than at previous events due to the Russian war against Ukraine, air freight topics were also at the forefront. This was primarily in connection with the overarching aspect of decarbonization and the net zero goal of airlines and their associations come 2050. CargoForwarder Global has picked out three sustainable concepts and products exhibited at the ILA, as examples that have the potential to become trendsetters, and illustrated them in separate articles in this week’s issue.

See PART 2.

That was the provocative question posed at the meeting of the German Air Cargo Association (acd) on the eve of the ILA trade show in Berlin (04JUN24). The result of the experts’ contributions is summarized here: Innovative forms of propulsion in aviation and therefore also cargo transportation are very much on the advance. This is evidenced by numerous encouraging and technically demanding projects, some of which are already close to market introduction.

Noteworthy is that mainly SMEs attract attention by announcing or even introducing exciting innovations. One such example is the pioneering U.S. company, Eviation Alice, that offers the market an all-electric aircraft with a range of 800 km when fully loaded, and an uplift capacity of 1.1 tons. DHL has ordered 12 units of the Alice series, the first of which is due to be delivered this year. Another customer is U.K.-based regional aircraft lessor, MONTE, which has also placed an order for 30 of Eviation’s all-electric commuter aircraft.

The e-solution
But are electrically powered aircraft the key to decarbonizing aviation? An exciting question that was debated by the experts at the acd meeting in many ways. The common consensus: they can fill a niche by covering shorter routes, i.e. as feeders. For long-haul air traffic, they are not economically viable due to the high battery weight, emphasized Hauke Peer Luedders, Head of Fuel Cell Propulsion Airbus.

SAF needs a level playing field
Which leads to the topic of SAF: Suitable, but clearly way too expensive compared to carbon-based Jet-A1 fuel. The dollar or euro ratio remains at 1 (Jet-A1) to 4 (SAF) per liter. Since there is an ample feedstock for this energy source, SAF is a very suitable fuel for accelerating decarbonization in the mid-term. It is also beneficial that the required ground infrastructure is already in place. However, without tax incentives or regulatory support by the legislator, SAF utilization will remain very limited, predicted Engelbert Redel, Senior Consultant Marsh Advisory. Above all, a level playing field must be established for SAF on a global scale, i.e. binding refueling quotas, as national solo efforts would do little to help and instead could distort competition. “Today, there are between 22,000 and 25,000 commercial aircraft registered worldwide, of which around 2,000 are full freighters. In 2050, there will probably be 50,000 aircraft, with a freighter share of about 3,000. But all new aircraft delivered today will still be flying in 20- or 30-years’ time, which is why the rapid scaling of SAF production is essential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” emphasized Mathias Jakobi, Aera Manager Central Europe IATA. When asked by CargoForwarder Global, the official pointed out that IATA’s 2050 net zero target is an ‘aspirational goal’ and by no means carved in stone.

H2 needs fueling stations at 150 airports
That leaves hydrogen as the most important propulsion system for decarbonizing aviation, at least on long-haul routes – also due to the high energy efficiency of the gas. “For the market breakthrough of hydrogen-based air operation, we need 150 airports that offer H₂ refueling stations,” Airbus manager, Lüdders pointed out, referring to the ground infrastructure aspect. As already announced, his company will first build a passenger aircraft powered by hydrogen. Only after this evolutionary step would an H₂ freighter be conceivable, he emphasized.
André Steinau, MD GP Joule Hydrogen, pointed out that H₂-powered trucks are particularly suitable for feeding shipments between suppliers and central airports, in this way lowering greenhouse gas emissions on roads. Hydrogen trucks, operating point to point, can easily replace diesel vehicles on routes with high cargo volumes. Founded in 2009 in North Frisia, his company’s goal is to supply industry, transportation and society with 100% renewable energy. To this end, GP Joule also operates various wind farms.

Future energy winners
The experts agreed that even small steps are valuable when it comes to reducing CO₂ emissions. Examples here are: the Shark Skin developed by Lufthansa Technik to improve the air flow of jetliners; more direct flight routes from A to B without detours; or further improved flight characteristics of newly developed aircraft. As far as the production of green energy is concerned, the winners will be countries where solar panels achieve high levels of efficiency, as well as coastal regions in Spain, Ireland or Chile, where wind turbines are permanently in operation.
Consultant Engelbert Redel pointed out that there is no single path to climate neutrality in aviation, but that technological diversity is required. “The best and most efficient system will win in the end; we need this technological openness,” he said, indirectly addressing policy makers.

None of them showed up
And yet no policy makers were present. They were criticized very heavily at the acd meeting. Air traffic is over-regulated and bureaucratized was a core point of criticism. For populist or electoral reasons, targets were being set that were simply not achievable by the industry, despite enormous efforts, the experts argued.
The decarbonization of air mobility can only succeed when driven by targeted tax incentives, coupled with a better understanding of this industry by the policy makers, the experts argued. Members of the German national parliament (Bundestag) had been invited to the acd gathering, but none of them showed up.
Summarizing the meeting, acd President, Christopher Stoller said that these initiatives should now be put on top of the industry’s agenda:

• drive forward pilot projects
• invest in R & D
• enter into strategic partnerships
• and accelerate the long-term planning of ground infrastructure to decarbonize aviation.

There is nothing more to add to this.

Cathay made the headlines thrice this week: the signing of an MoU with Singapore Airlines, outlining collaboration on sustainability initiatives; the launch of direct passenger flights to Riyadh, complementing its existing weekly freighter services; and lastly, a worrying development regarding repeated safety incidents amongst its trainee pilots.

But first to the positive: In the spirit of ‘greener together’, Cathay and Singapore Airlines used the backdrop of last week’s International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit in Dubai, UAE, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The signatories, represented by Cathay Group CEO, Ronald Lam, and Singapore Airlines CEO, Goh Choon Phong, agreed to collaborate on a number of sustainability initiatives, including advocating for the development and use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the Asia-Pacific region, and sharing best practices to boost sustainability performance.

Aiming for net zero by 2050
Ronald Lam, Chief Executive Officer, Cathay Group, stated: “As part of our collaborative ethos of ‘Greener Together’, we actively seek like-minded industry leaders for strategic partnerships in transitioning to sustainable aviation. Our collaboration with Singapore Airlines aims to accelerate and support the development of the SAF supply chain in the region, fostering a reliable SAF ecosystem to enable the industry to achieve its long-term decarbonisation goals. Cathay was one of the first airlines in Asia to set a target of 10% SAF for its total fuel consumption by 2030, and we are undertaking a multi-pronged approach to contribute to the aviation industry’s transition towards a greener future.”
SAF is one of two core areas in which the two airlines will work together. Both have already been independently active in sourcing providers and pushing for its use. They will now jointly advocate for the greater use of SAF in the Asia-Pacific region. This includes educating the public on the critical need for SAF if aviation is to decarbonise and reach its 2050 goals. Together, they will advocate for supportive policies and global standards in emissions accounting and reporting, and seek joint procurement opportunities.

Pushing for a reduction in all kinds of waste
The second area of focus will be the exchange of best practices to reduce single-use plastics, minimise waste, and improve energy efficiency in ground and cargo operations. The aim is to improve sustainability performance and accelerate the development and implementation of sustainable solutions. Goh Choon Phong, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Airlines, said: “Singapore Airlines is committed to embedding sustainability in all aspects of our operations. At the same time, we recognise that we cannot achieve our targets alone. Our partnership with Cathay signifies our mutual ambition to enhance collaboration in sustainability initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region. Together we are helping to set the foundation for a more sustainable aviation industry, and ensure that future generations continue to reap the benefits of air travel.”

Connecting Hong Kong and Riyadh
On 06JUN24, Cathay Pacific announced the launch of thrice-weekly, direct passenger flights between Hong Kong and Riyadh, operated by Airbus A350-900 aircraft, starting with the winder schedule on 28OCT24. The bellies on these flights will complement its existing weekly freighter flight and provide greater capacity to customer in the countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. At the signing ceremony in Hong Kong, attended by top government and airline management officials, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said: “The signing of the cooperation agreement marks a significant milestone for the already prospering aviation partnership between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia developed for almost two decades. […] The Hong Kong SAR Government is committed to strengthening aviation services on current major routes and routes along the Belt and Road with potential. Following Cathay Pacific’s initiative to commence services to Riyadh, we will be able to expand Hong Kong’s aviation network and enhance air connectivity between us and the Middle East, which further consolidates Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub.”

Pilot training suspension
Several media outlets, including Bloomberg and the South China Morning Post drew attention to a worrying development at U.S. pilot school in Phoenix, Arizona, this week. AeroGuard Flight Training Center has a five-year contract with Cathay since 2022, to train its future pilots in 10-month programs. At the time, the plan was to recruit and train 800 new junior pilots by 2025. Currently, around 250-300 are in training. The school took the decision, last week, to ground solo flights for all Cathay cadets, following a sequence of serious safety incidents, including a wingtip collision with a fixed object, a bounced landing leading to a substantial prop strike on the runway, and a complete runway excursion. Aside from the expensive damage to aircraft, a more worrying aspect is that the trainees failed to properly report the incidents, thus going against normal protocol. Safety first also means documenting every incident in order to learn and improve from it. AeroGuard referred to “an alarming increase in solo incidents during cadet training” in a memo to its trainees, informing them of the solo flight grounding.

Pilots needed in large numbers
In a published statement, Cathay acknowledged the cases and was looking into them, supporting the school’s decision: “These incidents involve our sponsored students, who will become our employees upon successful graduation from the training course. They will then need to undergo additional structured training before being assigned any flying duty.”
The airline, which lost and let go of many pilots during the pandemic, is facing a large struggle to ensure enough pilots in the industry’s fastest growing region. CAPA’s Centre for Aviation predicted in DEC23, that around 252,000 new pilots will be required, globally, in the next ten years. Of these, 91,000 will be needed in Asia Pacific (85,000 in Americas, 44,000 in Europe, 28,000 in Middle East, and 3,000 for Africa).