Air travel

Air travel

Hydrogen-powered aviation reaches milestone with ZeroAvia's flight

The California startup's 19-seat hydrogen-electric prototype plane successfully completed a short test flight as efforts to curb air-travel emissions scale up.

By Maria Gallucci . 20 January 2023
Air travel

The smelly, greasy truth about how sustainable aviation fuel is made

Join our reporter as she tags along with a truck driver dumpster-diving for used cooking oil — all in the name of curbing aircraft emissions.

By Maria Gallucci . 12 January 2023
Air travel

United plans to electrify airport operations with sodium-ion batteries

United Airlines is making a strategic equity investment in sodium-ion battery maker Natron Energy as the aviation industry works to curb emissions.

By Maria Gallucci . 30 November 2022
Air travel

Major airlines are teaming up to tackle planet-warming plane contrails

American, Southwest and United are joining with Airbus, Boeing, RMI and researchers in an effort to mitigate heat-trapping condensation trails.

By Maria Gallucci . 21 November 2022
Air travel

Iceland: Land of Fire and Ice — and 'carbon-free' flights?

Icelandair plans to use only hydrogen- and battery-powered planes for in-country routes by the end of this decade.

By Maria Gallucci . 1 November 2022
Air travel

193 countries pledge to slash air-travel emissions by 2050

It's the first international agreement of its kind for the hard-to-decarbonize aviation industry, but critics say the nonbinding target lacks teeth.

By Maria Gallucci . 10 October 2022
Air travel

CO2-to-vodka startup Air Company aims higher with aviation fuel

The company uses captured carbon dioxide to make sustainable aviation fuel at its reactor in New York City. JetBlue and Virgin Atlantic have pledged huge orders.

By Maria Gallucci . 22 September 2022
Podcast

Booking your first zero-emissions flight

Electric and hydrogen-fueled planes are coming. But will they really decarbonize aviation?

Play

By Shayle Kann . 18 August 2022
Air travel

The new climate law will help clean up air travel

The Inflation Reduction Act, which passed Congress this week, will provide new tax credits and research funding for sustainable aviation fuel.

By Maria Gallucci . 12 August 2022
Air travel

Can battery-powered airplanes decarbonize air travel?

A new study says not likely, but electric aircraft still have a role to play in cleaning up the aviation industry.

By Maria Gallucci . 13 July 2022