Sustainability and Environment

Sustainability and Environment

11 February 2021

Royal NLR and SEO plot the course to sustainable aviation in Europe

As the devastating effects of climate change loom, virtually every industry has a role to play in saving the planet. With all eyes fixed on slowing the rate of global warming, to no more than 1.5°C, NLR and SEO developed a roadmap to show how the European aviation industry can meet sustainability goals and reach a net-zero carbon footprint.

professional RPAS drone operations
Sustainability and Environment

03 February 2021

Flying safely with liquid hydrogen

NLR will demonstrate drone flights fuelled by liquid hydrogen stored in tanks made entirely of composite material – a lightweight solution, with no risk of metal fatigue. With this, NLR is taking the next step towards safe, climate-neutral aviation, contributing to the ambitions of the Dutch ‘Duurzame Luchtvaartakkoord’ (Sustainable Aviation Accord) and the associated ‘Actieprogramma Hybride Elektrisch Vliegen’ (Hybrid Electric Propulsion Action Programme).

Circular Economy in Aviation
Sustainability and Environment

07 September 2020

Challenge accepted: Circular Economy in Aviation

For those passionate about aviation, 2020 has been a roller-coaster of emotions. The year started off with seemingly unlimited opportunities for the aviation industry. But within few weeks, due to the spreading of COVID-19, airlines all over the world started to ground aircraft, until reaching a never-before standstill of flights in April and May. Airlines started filing for bankruptcy and retiring iconic aircrafts such as the 747-400, while hoping to recover fast and go back to normal as soon as possible. On the other hand, as aviation was already committed to become a more sustainable industry, many saw this disruption as an opportunity to speed up such transition.

Airplane spotting at Kaagbaan Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
Airport Operations

24 July 2020

Blog: Towards a sustainable recovery in aviation

COVID-19 has caused a large negative impact in the aviation industry. In order to minimise the transmission of the virus between countries, borders were closed and transport movements decreased. Air traffic was considerably reduced, leaving the industry with the lowest numbers in operations of the last decade. Cargo and repatriation flights were the main operations conducted during the lock-down. As the world is trying to recover from COVID-19, aviation is recovering too, meaning that the number of flights is increasing again.

Sunset landscape with contrails
Sustainability and Environment

31 March 2020

Blog: Explaining aviation and nitrogen

Nitrogen is a complex subject that you’ve probably heard and read a lot about lately. Aviation plays a part in it and the experts at Royal NLR are working hard on the challenges this creates. We’re happy to share the knowledge we gain doing this, which is why we’ve answered various questions about this hot topic below.

Desert military vehicle aviation - USA Arizona
Sustainability and Environment

07 February 2020

Blog: A piece of cake?

Reducing emissions and curbing broader climate impact are currently hot topics in aviation, and rightly so. However, only considering flight emissions is like wanting to bake a cake, but only using one ingredient. Although essential, flight emissions do not cover the full life cycle of an aircraft. They are a limited amount of the overall energy consumption and emissions related to aviation.