Sustainability In The Air

In this episode, we speak with Robert Hyslop, Executive Vice President of Global Aviation at DHL Express, who oversees one of the world’s largest dedicated air cargo networks and has helped turn the company into one of the biggest corporate buyers of sustainable aviation fuel. He discusses: Tripling SAF usage in a single year: How DHL moved from 3.5% to 10% SAF use within a year by securing reliable suppliers early and signing offtake agreements globally, purchasing allotments well ahead of w...

In this episode, Dirk Singer speaks with James Hygate, Founder and CEO of Firefly Green Fuels, about one of the more unconventional and potentially scalable sustainable aviation fuel pathways: converting sewage biosolids into jet fuel. Hygate discusses: Why Firefly is “feedstock-led”, and why that matters more than the technologyHow sewage biosolids emerged as the preferred feedstock for Firefly due to their abundance, consistency, and increasing difficulty of disposal.How hydrothermal ...

In this episode, we speak with Rachel Gardner-Poole, GAIN steering group chair and sustainable aviation consultant at NATS, the UK’s leading air traffic control provider. Gardner-Poole shares how GAIN (Green Aviation Insights Network) is bringing together air navigation service providers from around the world to optimise flight paths and reduce emissions using tools and insights that can deliver results today. She discusses: GAIN’s dual purpose: A global collaboration of air navigation ...

In this episode, we speak with Nanna Baldvinsdottir, co-founder of IðunnH2, about how Iceland’s unique energy system could turn the country into a green fuel bridge between Europe and North America. A veteran of Iceland’s power sector, Nanna has spent two decades working in renewables before turning to hydrogen and e-fuels development. Nanna shares how IðunnH2 is developing a 300 MW, ~70,000 tonne-per-year e-SAF project near Keflavík International Airport, designed first to decarbonise ...

In this special compilation episode, recorded live at the Dubai Airshow 2025, five aviation industry leaders share their perspectives on whether the Middle East can balance rapid aviation growth with sustainability goals. Featuring insights from: Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai AirportsJulien Manhès, Head of SAF and CDR, AirbusYousif Bin Saeed Al Lootah, CEO, Lootah BiofuelsDarren Hulst, Vice President of Commercial Marketing, BoeingMichel Azar-Hmouda, President of Commercial Aviation, CAETogether...

In this episode, we speak with Matthew Ridley, Director of Sustainability and Innovation at the oneworld Alliance, who shares the story behind the groundbreaking $150 million Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) fund launched in partnership with the alliance’s member airlines and Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV). Ridley discusses: The alliance investment advantage: How pooling resources across oneworld members creates access to world-class venture capital expertise, superior deal flow, more dive...

In this episode, we speak with Tamara Vrooman, CEO of Vancouver International Airport (YVR), who shares how the airport has committed to achieving net zero by 2030, and the detailed roadmap they’ve developed to get there. Vrooman discusses: YVR’s accelerated net zero timeline: How they moved from a 2040 target to 2030 by creating a detailed, measurable roadmap with component parts that track progress.Four pathways to net zero: Capital build improvements (including Canada’s largest geo-exchang...

In this episode, we speak with Silvia Pugliese and Monica Larrazabal, co-founders of Norma and the only all-female founding team among the c.150 direct air capture startups operating today. They share how their breakthrough supercapacitor approach could drastically slash the energy requirements of carbon capture. Pugliese and Larrazabal discuss: How they discovered a way to "cheat" on energy requirements by combining supercapacitor energy storage technology with CO2 capture, creating a hybrid...