Session 3: 13:45 - 14:45 

Chair: Oleg Kozhura

Theme: The people behind the science

How to make your future support colleagues lives easier

Alex Taylor

A look at what integrity means from a finance perspective, touching on why Higher Ed is structured the way it is with a focus on understanding the role of support colleagues who will often be available to help, particularly on big projects.

The Emissions Perspective: How Sustainable is Sustainable Aviation Fuel?

Dogushan Kilic

Aviation emissions have a significant impact on both climate and air quality. Aircraft release gases and particles that contribute to contrail formation, leading to cirrus cloud development and climate effects, while also affecting public health at ground level.

Achieving net-zero emissions in aviation is particularly challenging, as transitioning from traditional Jet-A fuel to alternatives like hydrogen or electric propulsion presents substantial technical, economic, and infrastructural barriers. Consequently, airlines are focusing on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs), derived from renewable biomass or waste materials. SAFs can be blended with conventional jet fuel and used in existing aircraft with minimal modifications.

Over the past four years, we have actively contributed to multiple national and international projects monitoring emissions from both conventional and sustainable aviation fuels. Our findings indicate that SAFs can significantly reduce both particulate and gaseous emissions, depending on flight conditions.

Additionally, we conduct atmospheric aging studies to assess the potential health impacts of aviation emissions post-release. Using photochemical oxidation, we investigate how these emissions evolve chemically and their potential effects on nearby residential areas. By comparing Jet-A and SAF, our research explores how sustainable fuels can mitigate environmental impacts, particularly at the tropospheric level.

Finally, we have recently secured funding for the UK's first in-flight emissions measurement campaign. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry, we will assess the climate and air quality impacts of SAFs during in-flight testing this year.

Panel Discussion

An opportunity to ask questions of all the presenters, find out more and explore other ideas.