Green Fuel, Vaccination Passport, Aid Package

This week was International Women’s Day and Tecnológico de Monterrey interviewed Mexican engineer Dorothy Ruiz-Martínez, Mission Control Center System Ops at NASA. Also, some countries introduced aid packages to help ameliorate the situation for airlines and employees, while China created a vaccination passport. In other news, airlines and planemakers are considering green jet fuels as a potential alternative to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint.

This and more in your weekly aerospace roundup!

Top MBN

Sustainable Aviation Fuels: Green but Remote Alternative

Several factors are motivating the aviation industry to reduce its dependance on fossil fuels, with sustainable aviation fuels becoming an attractive alternative. But there is still a long way to go before the industry can fully rely on them. Despite challenges, there are efforts being made to develop green jet fuel in Mexico. Read more here!

Tecnológico de Monterrey Receives World-Class Female Talent

The university’s “Raíces de Hermanas Mexicanas” (Roots of Mexican Sisters) forum received Dorothy Ruiz-Martínez, Mission Control Center Systems Ops at Nasa. She talked about her experiences and diversity at NASA and highlighted that talent has no gender. Read more here.

International

Australia Will Subsidize Flights to Support Tourism. Australia’s Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, announced a US$921 million aid package to rescue the tourism and aviation sectors. The measure is expected to help Australians travel throughout the country.

China Launches Vaccination Passport. Chinese authorities launched a health certificate for international flights that will register travelers’ vaccination status and COVID-19 test results. The Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs believes this will promote the country’s economic recovery and facilitate travel. The passport will be available for Chinese citizens through social media app WeChat.

US Offers US$14 Billion to Airlines in Third Government Aid Package. US lawmakers gave their final approval for payroll assistance package for US airlines. The measure aims to keep thousands of workers on the payroll. Trade association Airlines for America praised the extension: “it is vital to have our employees on the job and ready to assist as our nation prepares to move forward with the crisis.”

Budget Airlines Say EU Sustainable Fuel Quotas Should Apply to All Flights: Ryanair, Easyjet and other low-cost airlines wrote to the EU to request that all carriers use sustainable fuels, not just short-haul ones. These airlines believe that the current legislation does not affect the area that needs to decarbonize the most.