“This is a transformative time for Signature, and our partnership with Neste is helping us take another significant step towards net zero by providing a 100 percent supply of blended SAF at our Los Angeles location,” said Derek DeCross, chief commercial officer at Signature Aviation. “This collaboration exemplifies how we’re working together with both our guests and our partners to accelerate the adoption of environmentally friendly practices and paving the way for a more sustainable future in aviation.”

• READ MORE: Boeing Ready to Buy 7.5 Million Gallons of SAF

The blended SAF offering provided by Signature at its LAX location includes 30 percent of Neste MY SAF and 70 percent conventional jet fuel, enabling partners to achieve a 24 percent decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from air travel. SAF is approved for use blended up to 50 percent with conventional jet fuel.

Neste’s SAF is made from sustainably sourced, 100 percent renewable waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal fat waste. 

Signature and Neste have been in a partnership since 2020 designed to help accelerate the industry’s adoption of SAF. Signature plans to expand the availability of Neste MY SAF to the rest of its California locations. Neste is expanding its SAF production capability to 515 million gallons of SAF annually in 2024 to meet the growing demand.

Signature said it recently passed the 30 million-gallon mark in terms of total SAF delivered throughout its network, describing it as a substantial leap toward reducing carbon emissions and helping the aviation industry reach net zero by 2050.

• READ MORE: Business Aviation Industry Groups Aim to Speed Adoption of SAF

“We are proud to continue expanding our collaboration with committed partners like Signature Aviation, who recognize the key role sustainable aviation fuel can play in reducing GHG emissions from air travel,” said Carrie Song, senior vice president of commercial renewable products at Neste. “Offering blended Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel to all of its customers at LAX is a shining example of how the business aviation community can work together with fuel producers to accelerate SAF adoption and emission reductions.”

The transition to SAF at KLAX was completed on April 1. It is the second location on the West Coast to offer the more environmentally friendly fuel. The first Signature location to provide SAF was San Francisco International Airport (KSFO).

In addition, the growth in SAF availability at Signature LAX will also expand the location’s role as a key component in Signature’s book-and-claim program. Under the program, travelers and operators are able to purchase SAF in areas where it isn’t physically available.

“When an operator utilizes book and claim, they are able to claim the environmental benefit, while the physical SAF is provided for different aircraft at Signature LAX,” Signature said.

The post Signature Aviation Pumping Blended SAF at LAX Terminal appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Wisk Aero, a subsidiary of Boeing, on Monday said it became the first in the industry to conduct public demonstration flights of an electric air taxi in Los Angeles County.

Wisk landed in the City of Angels earlier this month, beginning private flight testing out of Long Beach Airport (KLGB) with its fifth-generation eVTOL, also known as Cora. The tests allowed the firm to evaluate autonomous flight operations in a real-world commercial environment, right beside other passenger aircraft.

The flight program was capped off with a public, multitransition demonstration during the airport’s Festival of Flight on Saturday. The one-day event was free and open to the public.

“I am proud to see the future of flight becoming a reality in Long Beach,” said Rex Richardson, the city’s mayor. “Long Beach has been a leader in aviation for decades, and those careers helped build and sustain the middle class here for generations. I am looking forward to working with Wisk and Boeing to create good jobs and integrating a safe, quiet, and environmentally responsible transportation option in Long Beach.”

Unlike its core rivals (with the exception of China’s EHang), Wisk is looking to fly without onboard pilots from the jump, instead relying upon a combination of autonomy and human oversight. It’s also the exclusive provider of autonomy technology for Archer Aviation following the settlement of a prolonged legal battle between the two manufacturers.

As part of that agreement, Boeing contributed to a $215 million investment in Archer, which also included partners Stellantis and United Airlines.

Per Monday’s announcement, Wisk has now completed more than 1,700 test flights. Those include another public demonstration of Cora at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, which the company said was the world’s first for an autonomous, fixed-wing eVTOL. EHang in 2020 made a public flight in South Korea, but its EH216-S is not a fixed-wing design.

Wisk also displayed its four-seat Gen 6 design for VIPs on Capitol Hill during the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Aerospace Summit in Washington, D.C., last month. But it did not take flight.

Over the weekend, company representatives met with Mayor Richardson, Los Angeles area officials, and leadership from Boeing—which became Wisk’s sole owner in June—to discuss the future of advanced air mobility (AAM) services in the area.

“Autonomous flight is possible today, and it’s happening now in LA,” said Brian Yutko, CEO of Wisk. “Los Angeles is a target launch city for many in our industry and we are extremely proud to be the first air taxi company to fly in LA—and to have done so with an autonomous aircraft. We are fortunate to have the partnership and support of Boeing throughout the area to help build relationships and advance our mission.”

A Crowded Market?

Though it will not necessarily launch in Los Angeles, Wisk in 2022 formed an alliance with the Long Beach Economic Partnership (LBEP) to evaluate how autonomous electric air taxis, expected to be part of a broader regional network, might impact the local economy.

The partners are also assessing local residents’ willingness to use eVTOL aircraft for short-hop flights over the city’s congested streets. One of the most traffic-heavy metros in North America, Los Angeles is quickly becoming a hot spot for electric air taxis, with Archer, Germany’s Volocopter, and Hyundai subsidiary Supernal all having worked with Urban Movement Labs—an LA government-community transportation partnership—for several years. A fourth firm, Overair, signed a deal with UML in 2022.

By the time Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Olympic Games, the FAA hopes to have enabled U.S. AAM operations at scale, as laid out in its Innovate28 plan. The city itself also anticipates robust operations by then—Joby Aviation, in partnership with Delta Airlines, is expected to be one of the early entrants.

Supernal is also eyeing the LA market, and competition could heat up further with the potential entry of Archer and United. A partnership between the two calls for the airline’s acquisition of up to 200 Midnight eVTOLs to fly passengers to United hub airports—Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX) is one of them.

California in general is something of a hub for eVTOL firms, with Wisk (Mountain View), Joby (Santa Cruz), and Archer (San Jose) all setting up headquarters in the Bay Area. Overair is based in the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Ana with flight testing facilities in nearby Victorville. Supernal, based in D.C., has a research and development facility in nearby Fremont, as well as an engineering headquarters close to Los Angeles in Irvine. Both Joby and Archer have conducted flight testing in the state for years.

In addition, Joby, Overair and several of the aforementioned manufacturers played a pivotal role in the formation of a dedicated AAM advisory committee for the state with the passage of California SB 800, which was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom earlier this month. Many of them expect to fly during the 2028 Olympic Games.

Why Los Angeles?

Wisk recently sponsored research, conducted by California State University at Long Beach, which found that the operation of a 20-vertiport network spanning the Greater Los Angeles-Orange County area could generate $2 million in economic output for every $1 million of initial expenditure. 

More specifically, researchers estimated such a network would create 943 jobs, deliver more than $90 million in labor income, and generate about $173 million in expenditures annually. Construction of the network alone could add more than 2,100 jobs and churn out more than $420 million in economic output, they approximated.

Supernal, meanwhile, is working with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory—within the U.S. Department of Energy—to explore the feasibility, challenges, and opportunities for AAM operations in the Los Angeles area, including the necessary infrastructure.

Besides the potential economic impact and the opportunity to eliminate traffic, LA is viewed by many manufacturers as a promising market for eVTOL aircraft for several reasons.

The city regularly scores an “F” in regard to managing air pollution, which zero-emissions vehicles such as eVTOL aircraft could mitigate. Weather conditions—often clear and sunny outside of the “June Gloom” period each summer—are also ideal for initial AAM operations. And historically, California has been a bastion for environmentally friendly tech, which could raise consumer confidence in the novel aircraft.

Los Angeles may also have a leg up on other U.S. cities when it comes to AAM infrastructure. A 2021 Georgia Tech University survey, published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, suggested six local airports (including Long Beach Airport and LAX) as potential waypoints for eVTOL passengers.

Additionally, infrastructure in downtown Los Angeles, such as rooftops, “could potentially be converted to vertiports,” the survey noted. Archer and Joby in 2021 each announced Los Angeles as a launch city for their respective vertiport networks. Both are working with parking garage operator Reef to convert parking garage roofs into eVTOL landing pads.

Wisk, too, will need to construct its own vertiports, enlist a partner to build them, or form agreements with airports or FBOs to allow vertical takeoffs and landings. The Boeing subsidiary does not have a firm commercial launch date but has said its Gen 6 model will enter service before the end of the decade.

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The post Boeing’s Wisk Aero Steps Up LA Presence with Public Air Taxi Demos appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Neste has commissioned storage capacity at Vopak’s Los Angeles terminal for Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or SAF, and Neste MY Renewable Diesel. The company said the fuel-storage arrangement marks a significant step toward making Neste’s renewable fuels more readily available in the Southern California region.

• READ MORE: ICAO Marks First Certification of Sustainable Aviation Fuel Under CORSIA Standard

The Vopak terminal’s location in the vast Port of Los Angeles will aid Neste strategically in connecting with fuel logistics via vessels, barges, trucks, and pipelines. The location also will help boost the flow of Neste’s renewable fuels to customers at area hubs like airlines requiring SAF at Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX) and critical hubs in the LA Angeles area, such as SAF for airlines at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and renewable diesel for road vehicles.

• READ MORE: Neste Delivers More than 500,000 Gallons of SAF to LAX

“Neste is fully committed to supporting the energy transition in the U.S. as well as globally by working closely together with partners to increase the availability of our renewable fuels,” said Annika Tibbe, acting president for Neste U.S. “Our cooperation with Vopak shows how repurposing existing fuel distribution infrastructure can accelerate the much-needed transition to renewable energy. California has been at the forefront of adopting and endorsing climate-friendly policies and solutions. We are glad to enable more cities, businesses, and individual travelers in the state to take advantage of Neste’s renewable solutions to reduce their emissions and help fight against climate change.”

• READ MORE: Neste to Provide DHL with 105 Million Gallons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Said Maria Ciliberti, Vopak president United States and Canada: “We are proud to serve Neste. Repurposing Vopak’s assets from oil and traditional fossil fuel products to low-carbon energy solutions is right on target with our strategy. We are happy that our services and infrastructure have been selected and are committed to being a part of the Los Angeles energy transition.”

The post Neste Makes Deal to Boost SAF Availability in Southern California appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The vote, which occurred January 24, was greenlit by an agreement made in 2017 between the FAA and city officials allowing the closure to happen.

According to the FAA, the 2017 agreement “requires the city to maintain continuous and stable operation of the airport for 12 years, until December 31, 2028, and after that the city has the right to close the airport.” The agreement also stipulated that the runway at KSMO be shortened from 4,973 feet to the current 3,500 feet.

Aviation groups, including the California Pilots Association and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), voiced strong opposition to the reduction in runway length, noting that it would make KSMO unusable for jets that require at least 4,000 feet to operate.

At the time, tensions were high between airport businesses such as flight schools and the city, because the city offered only month-to-month leases. Several flight schools and the airport restaurant closed as such lease terms are not tenable in a business environment.

As part of the city’s 2017 agreement with the FAA, the city agreed to allow leases of no less than three years in duration.

The announcement that the city was pursuing closure proceedings in 2028 did not come as a surprise to many in the aviation community, many of whom took to social media to share the news.

About the Property

Santa Monica Municipal Airport covers approximately 227 acres. It was opened in 1922, making it one of the oldest continually operating airports in the U.S. KSMO has one runway, 03/21, measuring 3,500 feet by 150 feet. At one time, the airport was the home of the Douglas Aircraft Company, the manufacturer of the iconic DC-3.

As early as 1958 there were signs the airport was becoming a bone of contention in the southern California community, as that year Donald Douglas asked the city for permission to extend the runway so that the factory could produce the DC-8, one of the first jet-powered transport category aircraft poised for commercial passenger operations. City officials refused, and Douglas relocated its primary factory to Long Beach, California.

Santa Monica became a general aviation airport and reliever field for Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX), located approximately six miles away.

Over the years several neighborhood groups sprang up in opposition to the airport, arguing that the airport, which had been built when it was surrounded by ranches and orchards, was too close to residential neighborhoods—though many homes had been built nearby to house Douglas employees. The anti-airport groups highlighted aircraft accidents, noise, and pollution as reasons to close the field. The pilot community tried to work with the city and neighborhood groups, and Santa Monica became one of the first airports to be known for voluntary noise abatement procedures.

Long, Slow Death

In the 1970s, city officials argued with the FAA that the municipality should have the right to close the airport and redevelop the land, as most of the residents in the city did not want it in their neighborhood. The FAA argued that the airport was part of the nation’s transportation infrastructure and required to remain open to satisfy grant assurances.

In 2016 the airport tenants and aviation advocacy groups such as AOPA and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) filed complaints against the city for violating leasing policies, implementing an unjust landing fee structure, and diverting airport revenues.

The claims were investigated, and in 2019 Kevin Willis, director of the Office of Airport Compliance and Management Analysis of the FAA, concluded that the city was in non-compliance with federal grant assurances with respect to loans that the city claims it made to the airport, and rates for the airport’s landing fees might not be in compliance with grant assurance rules.

FLYING made several attempts to reach representatives from local aviation groups, including the California Pilots Association, but our inquiries were not answered by press time.

The airport is home to the Museum of Flying at Santa Monica, founded by Donald Douglas Jr., the second president of Douglas Aircraft.

According to Airnav.com, there are 74 aircraft based at the airport. The page also includes information about the airport’s noise curfew and noise abatement procedures. It includes a link to a page with a list of aircraft banned from the airport because they exceed the maximum noise level of 95.0 decibels.

The City’s Plans

According to a statement from the city, the airport site will likely be redeveloped for open space, as Measure LC, passed by Santa Monica voters in 2014, allows the city council to approve the development of parks, public open spaces, and public recreational facilities. Real estate development is prohibited on airport land unless approved by voters.

The airport accounts for 4.3 percent of the city’s land.

“We know this is an asset Santa Monicans care about,” said Mayor Gleam Davis, “and we want to work together to set goals and priorities to meet diverse community needs for the next several generations.”

City officials have outlined a timeline for the airport closure project:

• Consultant Selection: Summer 2023
• Project Initiation: Winter 2023
• Existing Conditions: Spring 2024
• Scenario Planning (Preferred Scenario Approved): Spring/Summer 2026
• Specific Plan Initiation: Fall/Winter 2026
• Consent Decree Airport Closure Authorization: Winter 2028
• Specific Plan Adoption: Fall 2028-2033 or beyond

City officials will soon begin looking for qualified firms to help develop the land and will seek input from the community. This will be followed by a request for proposals that will allow community members and stakeholders to have input on the project.

The post City Council Votes To Close Santa Monica Airport appeared first on FLYING Magazine.