Page 70 - World Airnews Magazine December 2019 Edition

NEWS DIGITAL NEWS DIGITAL

WORLD’S FIRST CARBON-NEUTRAL AIRLINE
UNRAVELLING THE MYSTERIES OF

A MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND

Liberal Arts’ ROSETTA initiative, focused clouds and aerial photographs. They are The British budget
on remote sensing technologies and combining that work with the discovery of airline has announced plans to
A quarry, a prison site or a religious techniques in archaeo-anthropology. The artifacts from the liberal arts researchers become the world’s first major
to put together historical information
location? Purdue University engineering initiative builds on the world reputation about the use of the island, where objects airline to operate a carbon
of CLA researchers in socio-human and
and liberal arts researchers are using remote sensing. related to shipbuilding and quarries have neutral network.
drones to help answer the question about “We proved the high potential for our been discovered. Starting today, the European
the past use of an island of Turkey. technology to be used for data collection “This was our most challenging work yet carrier will operate net-zero
Dana Island is located off the southern for archaeological documentation,” involving our drone and mapping systems,” flights. This means it will offset
coast of Turkey. Many stories have been said Ayman Habib, Purdue’s Thomas A. Habib said. all of the carbon emissions
floating around regarding the history of Page Professor of Civil Engineering and “We faced major challenges in getting the made by the fuel from its flights
the island, which is one reason researchers co-director of the Civil Engineering Centre equipment to the island and then working by supporting several eco-led
from Purdue’s College of Liberal Arts for Applications of UAS for a Sustainable around the dense vegetation and some schemes, including forestry,
decided to explore the geography and Environment (CE- CAUSE). snakes.” renewable and community
artifacts from the island. “We have opened the door to new and Other members of the Purdue team who based projects.
This past summer, a group from Purdue’s different methods and research problems worked on Dana Island include Nick Rauh, Johan Lundgren, easyJet’s
Lyles School of Civil Engineering joined the in accurate mapping of real-world objects a professor of classics; Angus Moore, a CEO, said in a statement,
researchers on the island to use drones and locations.” Ph.D. student in earth, atmospheric, and “Climate change is an issue
and LiDAR, light detection and ranging, The team of engineers used the drone planetary sciences; and Evan Flatt, a senior for all of us. At easyJet we are
mapping systems to better understand the and system technology they created to research engineer with Purdue’s college of tackling this challenge head on by choosing easyJet has signed a Memorandum of announced in October it would be carbon
island’s history. do flyovers around the island and chart engineering. Q to offset the carbon emissions from the Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for neutral by 2050 and would start offsetting
The work also is part of the College of measurements from the LiDAR point fuel used for all of our flights starting today. a joint research project on hybrid and all domestic flights next year. German
airline Lufthansa launched Compensaid, its
electric aircrafts.
In doing so we are committing to operating
net-zero carbon flights across our network Jonathon Porritt, Co-Founder of Forum carbon offsetting platform, in August which
– a world first by any major airline. for the Future, said in a statement, “Carbon allows travellers to track and offset their
“We acknowledge that offsetting is only offsetting can only be a bridge to future individual carbon footprint.
an interim measure until other technolo- technological developments, and it will be It's not just airlines moving towards more
gies become available to radically reduce important to seek out each and every way sustainable practices.
the carbon emissions of flying, but we want of reducing carbon emissions. Beyond that, To celebrate its 25th birthday last
to take action on carbon now.” the whole industry needs to come together week Eurostar announced several new
The airline says it will support the more effectively to decarbonise this critical eco-practices.
development of hybrid and electric planes sector just as quickly as possible.” It launched its first plastic-free train and
and work with others across the industry While easyJet is the first major airline will commit to planting a tree for every
to ‘reinvent and de-carbonise aviation over to commit to carbon offsetting, IAG - the train service that operates across its routes
the long-term’. To show this commitment, parent company to British Airways - from January 2020. Q

AIRLINES

VIRGIN TO DEPLOY AIRBUS A350

TO LAGOS AND JOHANNESBURG

Economy class and 235 seats in Economy class.
With a totally redesigned Upper Class cabin complete with Loft
Virgin Atlantic is set to elevate the on-board experience of area as well as tailcam and new in-seat ordering feature, this new
its passengers as well as increase capacity on African routes as it aircraft is revolutionizing travel.
plans to deploy the Airbus A350 to Lagos and Johannesburg. Customers flying between London and Lagos and between
The airline will deploy the ultra-modern aircraft on London London and Johannesburg will love to fly on this new aircraft and
route with effect from August 2020 while the aircraft will debut on will enjoy the onboard experience of the newly redesigned cabins.
Johannesburg route in March, 2020. Virgin Atlantic currently deploys the Airbus A340-600 on its daily
Virgin Atlantic's brand new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft features service between London Heathrow and Lagos. A Boeing 787-9 is on
the airline’s redesigned upper class cabin and unique new social the London-Johannesburg service.
space. Virgin Atlantic’s first A350 took to the skies in September with
The new Virgin Atlantic's A350-1000 is configured with a total of an inaugural flight to New York. It ordered a total of 12 A350-1000
335 seats including 44 seats in Upper Class, 56 seats in Premium aircraft, with them all scheduled to join the fleet by 2021.Q

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