Net-zero flight plan for Highlands discussed at aviation event
An innovative flight project that has used Wick airport to test new technologies held a conference aimed at bringing low-carbon aviation to the Highlands.
Scotland’s first regional sustainable aviation conference, Taking Flight, took place in Inverness.
The event, organised and hosted by the Sustainable Aviation Test Environment (SATE) project team, looked at new forms of sustainable aviation and the pathway to their commercial and social service.
It has an ambition to make the Highlands and Islands the world’s first net-zero aviation space by 2040, and has been involved in airbus trials and large unmanned drone flights.
In April, Hybrid Air Vehicles Limited and the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HiTrans) announced a plan to progress potential services using a hybrid Airlander 10 aircraft.
And last year, a test flight of the largest unmanned air vehicle (UAV) in Europe took place at Wick John O' Groats Airport.
Ranald Robertson, director at HiTrans - SATE’s lead partner, said: “SATE and the Highlands and Islands region are uniquely positioned to offer a region that can host the testing, development and deployment of new sustainable aviation technologies.”
Jayne Golding, SATE manager, said: “Next for the consortium is to undertake some important flight trials, and in combination look at public acceptance of new technologies and community benefit from net-zero regional aviation, building on the outcomes from a workshop held at the conference.”
SATE is part funded by the UKRI Future Flight Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK and ESRC.