The Allplane Podcast

eVTOL developers promise thousands of aircraft by the start of next decade, but is this realistic?I am not even talking about the long and costly certification processes, let’s assume, for the sake of simplicity, that this is sorted. What about the capacity of aerospace supply chains, already strained trying to cope with the demand from traditional aircraft makers, to serve this new growth market?Are the current processes and technologies flexible enough to respond to this market demand?We are going to talk about all this with this episode’s guest, Stefan Schamberger, an aerospace supply chain expert who knows the world of aerostructures manufacturing inside out.In this industry analysis writings, Stefan raises also an interesting point: what if the ultimate value delivered by the whole advanced air mobility (AAM) revolution was to facilitate the advent of the new generation mid-sized airliner which both Boeing and Airbus are aiming to launch some time in the middle of the next decade?How transfereable are skills and technologies between the “old” and “new” aerospace industries?Tune in for a fascinating chat about the industrial processes and infrastructure that make today’s aerospace industry possible!

When we talk about aviation sustainability, the first thing that usually comes to mind is propulsion technologies or new aircraft designs.But there are other ways to lower the environmental footprint of flying. Some are even hidden in plain sight!Today we bring you the story of a company doing its bit to make aviation more sustainable, but in a rather original way: GenPhoenix makes ELeather, which is an innovative lightweight material that can be found on many aircraft seats.ELeather is actually made by upcycling organic leather scraps, preventing them from going to a landfill (and liberating methane) while, at the same time, helping bring down weight onboard the aircraft, with the related savings in fuel and emissions.Lisa Conway, Chief Revenue Officer at GenPhoenix, has been on the podcast to share all the details about this interesting technology, which you may have already been using, even without noticing!Tune in for a fascinating conversation about this segment of the industry that operates at the crossroads between sustainability and passenger experience!

Wizz Air takes pride in having the lowest carbon footprint per passenger and kilometer in the airline industry, 52g, number that it expects to bring further down as it renews the fleet with larger, denser and more efficient aircraft.But fleet renewal alone won’t do the trick. In fact, “fleet” is just one of the three “Fs” that the pan-European ultra-low-cost airline relies on to get to Net Zero by 2050, even in a context of growing air traffic.“Footprint”, that is, efficiency improvements in the way aircraft are operates, is another, relatively minor “F” in this vision. But the bulk of the carbon reduction will rest upon the massive use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).Since production of SAF is currently small, Wizz Air has decided to take a proactive stance and become a direct investor in a number of innovative SAF projects, one of the most promising of which is Firefly, a British startup that turns sewage into SAF.In this episode of the podcast, Yvonne Moynihan, head of ESG and sustainability at Wizz Air, and James Hygate OBE, founder and CEO of Firefly, share the (virtual) stage to explain this project in detail. We will talk about how Firefly technology works, how scalable it is and how does this project fit into Wizz Air’s SAF-sourcing ans well as in the airline’s broader decarbonization plans. Tune in for a fascinating chat about one of the most interesting SAF projects right now in Europe and how it will help Wizz Air strengthen its sustainability credentials even further…

In this episode of the podcast we welcome Amelia DeLuca, Chief Sustainability Officer at Delta Air Lines.Besides being one of the World’s largest airlines, Delta, is also a very active player in the field of air travel innovation and decarbonization.Delta has committed to getting to net zero by 2050 with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) expected to play a big role in achieving this goal. To this end, Delta has signed a string of SAF deals across the US and is also working with SAF producers in several states to increase supply of this so-far scarce type of fuel. Delta intends to use 10% of SAF in its fuel mix by 2030 and to increase this figure to 35% by 2035. But this is not the only path to decarbonization that Delta is exploring. In fact, when it comes to sustainability, Delta is active on so many fronts that it has created the Delta Sustainable Skies Lab to gather all its sustainability-focused initiatives under one roof. Remarkably, just as Delta is marking its centenary, it is also actively investing in technologies that promise to re-shape the way to travel in the next 100 years. Two examples of this policy are Delta’s is investment in leading eVTOL developer Joby Aviation and its strategic partnership with JetZero, a startup developing a revolutionary blended-wing-body aircraft concept capable of halving fuel consumption, all while redefining completely the passenger experience.So, tune in to listen to Amelia talking about all these exciting projects and explaining how they fit into Delta’s vision of the future of commercial aviation!

This episode has two exceptional guests because more often than not, innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. Great successful products and services are those that fast achieve product-market fit and this is precisely what we are going to talk about here today.Our guests are Marc Allen, CEO of Electra, a US startup that is developing a hybrid-electric ultra-short take-off and landing aircraft capable of landing in incredibly short open spaces, and Tomislav Land, co-founder and CEO of Flyvbird, a startup airline based in Germany which aims to transform regional air travel with an on-demand capilar air mobility network.At this point, I must say that Tomislav is, actually, a veteran of this podcast, since he was here already in 2022 when Flyvbird was starting to take shape.Quite a few things have happened since then, so we do examine with Marc and Tomislav the current state of the industry, and talk about what the market is asking for right now.And while it is true that the market has cooled somehow when it comes to some of the most complex cleansheet aircraft projects from the point of view of technology, regulatory burdens and capital requirements, there is still plenty of appetite for advanced air mobility projects that are low risk, clean, safe and efficient.And Electra’s EL9 aircraft, which is currently undergoing development and evaluation, among others, by the US military, seems to tick pretty much all these boxes. Marc will provide us with some insights about the current status of the project and the steps it is taking towards certification, while Tomislav will explain how it fits perfectly in Flyvbird’s plans to build a new generation on-demand regional airline. Last but not least, both CEOs also talk about the ways they are collaborating to ensure success through the so much sough-after product-market fit.Tune in to learn more about one of the most non-nonsense cleansheet aircraft projects right now in the market!

Payments are an essential element of the airline business and one that is often overlooked by most people. But, have you considered the tech required by any international carrier to handle thousands of payments from all over the world, smoothly and instantly?In this episode, produced in partnership with CellPoint Digital, we delve into the topic of airline payments tech.Diego Pérez, VP Business Development for Latin America and CellPoint Digital, shares some insights about the different elements involved in an airline payment. He also explains what is payment orchestration, and why it matters if you wish to offer multiple payment methods to your customers.Diego will also share his experience working in the Latin American markets, a region of the world that stands out in the use of alternative payments, that is using methods and channels different from the classical credit card payment. This is also becoming increasingly relevant for airlines in other parts of the world, as Gen Z travellers show a preference for a diversity of payment methods. So, tune in to learn more about the trends that shifting the payment landscape and how technology is providing answers to them!

Joshua Ng is a Director at Alton Aviation Consultancy, which, at the name implies, is a global consultancy firm serving the aviation industry with actionable analysis, advice and recommendations.Being based in Singapore, Joshua has a rather advantageous viewpoint on the sustainable aviation developments taking place across the Asia-Pacific region, a part of the world that has the capacity to move the needle when it comes to decarbonizing the skies.This is a matter that generates plenty of headlines, but if we look beyond the buzz, what are the most pressing concerns that occupy the minds of decision makers? Which technologies does Alton Aviation Consultancy see as the most likely winners in the transition towards sustainability? What are the perspectives for advanced air mobility in Asia? What is the expected role of China in all of this?Together with Joshua, we try to answer all of these questions in an episode of the podcast you can’t miss if interested in this very dynamic part of the world!

Vertical Aerospace is one of the world’s leading advanced air mobility developers, at least when it comes to its order book.Some 1,500 units of its VX4 eVTOL aircraft have already been pre-ordered (including a 500 aircraft order from Avolon, which the lessor then managed to place in a matter of months with a handful of airlines), but before that, Vertical Aerospace will have to complete a thorough a comprehensive testing and certification process.And no one better placed to talk precisely about this than our guest on this episode: Michael Cervenka, Chief Technology Officer at Vertical Aerospace.Michael is an industry veteran, who, prior to joining Vertical Aerospace, worked for quite a few years at that other flagship of British aerospace industry, Rolls-Royce. We recorded this conversation as Vertical Aerospace was preparing for a key step in its development process: its first piloted untethered flight. So, we talked with Michael in full detail about this ongoing testing programme, its current status and the challenges that lie ahead.And, then, of course, we discussed in detail other aspects of Vertical Aerospace’s plans , such as its value proposition, its industrial plan, which, unlike other eVTOL developers, involves a whole ecosystem of partners working together. There was also time to discuss financial and commercial aspects of the project and even some little known aspects of the project, such as the main differences between an eVTOL and a helicopter or why prototypes are painted white.So, tune in for an in-depth conversation about one of the most fascinating eVTOL projects in the world right now!