Electric aviation received a boost in Europe last week as the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) released a white paper roadmap to accelerate de-carbonising aviation, and Diamond Aircraft and Lufthansa announced the results of training tests using the electric eDA40.
GAMA's paper Recommendations for Accelerating the Development of the Electric Aviation Sector in Europe delivers several major recommendations the association believes would need to be put in place for the industry to reach to goal of zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“General aviation is at the forefront of developing and introducing innovative technologies that will transform the entire aviation industry," said Kyle Martin, GAMA Vice President European Affairs.
"We look forward to furthering our ongoing work with the European Commission and EASA so that they have a fuller understanding of the vital role that they will play in advancing this sector, which is the incubator for safety, sustainability and innovation.”
Among the recommendations GAMA promotes in the paper are:
- strengthening and broadening the scope and the accessibility of existing funding programs that could provide R&D and manufacturing funding to support for electric aviation innovation
- strengthening supply chains and preparing for battery recycling
- strengthening electricity infrastructure and grid capacity
- revising the EU State Aid rules so that Member States can develop new technology-neutral programs specifically tailored to the missions of high-potential and high-risk deep-tech companies
- revising the European Investment Bank transport lending policy to include support for low-carbon aviation technologies, including hybrid-electric aircraft as well as dedicated facilities for eVTOLs.
"The paper builds upon GAMA’s efforts advocating for key policy and legislative measures needed to accelerate the development of electric aviation in Europe," a GAMA announcement says.
"It highlights the need for creating and strengthening appropriate funding frameworks, building a robust and resilient supply chain and fostering the appropriate regulatory and policy environment to support the emergence and success of the electric aviation industry.
"Providing EASA with the critical resources and budgetary support it needs to support the certification process is also one of the key recommendations of the sector."
Furthering the cause of electric aviation in Europe, Diamond Aircraft and Lufthansa Aviation Training (LAT) conducted an series of testing in early April that integrated an eDA40 into Lufthansa's training program.
LAT used the aircraft on five flights involving four LAT pilots, working closely together with Diamond's team of engineers and flight test pilots.
According to Diamond, LAT's pilots were "astonished" how easy the aircraft is to operate and how similar it handles to the DA40 NG, at the same time remarking how quiet the eDA40 was inside the cockpit.
Diamond said the test revealed that the eDA40 seamlessly integrates into existing workflows, enhancing efficiency without disrupting established processes.
“The European Flight Academy, the flight school of Lufthansa Group, is not only dedicated to highest training standards but also commits itself to new approaches to foster sustainability in aviation," said LAT CEO Matthias Spohr.
"We are delighted to be part of the eDA40 development process. It gives us a deep understanding of the new technology used and enables us to use it for the most advanced training."
The European Union has set targets that aim to reduce carbon emissions by 55% from 1990 levels by 2030 and zero by 2050.
Australia has legislated targets of 43% below 2005 levels by 2030 and zero by 2050.
According to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, aviation currently contributes 8% to the total carbon emissions attributed to transport operations.
Sustainable aviation is likely to be a prominent feature of the Federal Government's Aviation White Paper, which is expected to be published in the middle of this year.