Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coming To Miami International Airport
Miami-based World Fuel Services and DHL Express have announced a new commercial agreement that will see the delivery of blended Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to Miami International Airport (MIA).
According to the official press release, World Fuel will deliver 60 million gallons of blended SAF over a two-year period making Miami-Dade the gateway for sustainable jet fuel in the state of Florida and one of only five entry points in the country.
Of the 60 million gallons, World Fuel Services says there will be 18 million gallons of neat SAF produced from used cooking oil and food waste with at least 80% lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional jet fuel.
World Fuel SVP Brad Hurwitz shared the significance of the historic agreement which will see SAF being delivered on World Fuel’s home turf:
“We are proud to support DHL in providing a consistent supply of SAF to Florida. This is particularly meaningful for all of us in the World Kinect family since our company has been headquartered in Miami for all its 40-year history.” – Brad Hurwitz
Since 2015, World Fuel Services has delivered more than 40 million gallons of SAF to business and commercial aviation customers. That number will surpass 100 million gallons with the new DHL agreement.
To learn more, visit the World Fuel Sustainability page.
Gulfstream G700 Type Rating Soaring Months After Release
It’s only been five months since Gulfstream began customer deliveries of its new G700 aircraft, but the number of customer pilots already earning G700 type rating has risen to over 100, according to the Savannah-based business jet manufacturer.
According to Gulfstream, in addition to the 100 customer pilots who have earned the G700 type rating, 80 Gulfstream corporate pilots and more than 20 FlightSafety International G700 instructors have earned their G700 type rating.
Gulfstream President Mark Burns says the company is seeing a steady stream of domestic and international pilots and instructors flocking to Savannah for their G700 type rating:
“Pilots are coming to Savannah from around the world to earn their G700 type rating as aircraft deliveries increase. Thanks to the innovative and intuitive Gulfstream Symmetry Flight Deck and the maturity of the G700 program, the ease with which customers are taking delivery is impressive.” – Mark Burns
To learn more about the G700 type rating and features, visit Gulfstream..
Gainesville Airport Installs Electric Aviation Charging Infrastructure
Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV) and University Air Center have partnered with BETA Technologies to install electric aircraft and vehicle charging infrastructure. With the announcement, Gainesville joins the growing electric aviation charging network across Florida and the United States.
The electric charging infrastructure designed by Vermont-based BETA Technologies is multimodal and interoperable meaning it can power a wide variety of electric aircraft and electric ground vehicles servicing the aircraft.
GNV installed one of BETA’s Level 3 Fast Chargers at GNV’s fixed-base operator, University Air Center. Gainesville Regional Airport CEO Allan Penska expressed enthusiasm over Gainesville being chosen by BETA:
“We are excited to participate with BETA Technologies and be part of this exciting electric charging infrastructure roll-out. Along with our partners at our FBO, University Air Center, we welcome the opportunity to offer one more way to help our customers Fly Easy.” -Allen Penska
According to BETA’s official charging station locator map, GNV becomes the fourth active location in the Sunshine State after Tallahassee (TLH), Crestview (CEW) and Elgin Air Force Base (EGI). Planned stations appear to be under development in both Jacksonville and Orlando.
Georgia’s active BETA stations are located in Augusta (AGS) and Valdosta (VLD) with planned stations under development in Atlanta, Macon and Waycross.
For more information, visit beta.team.
Waymo and Uber To Bring Autonomous Ride-Hailing to Atlanta
Atlanta International Airport could soon see a steady stream of autonomous ride-sharing vehicles picking up and dropping off passengers curbside thanks to a new venture scheduled to rollout in early 2025.
Waymo and Uber have announced an expanded partnership to bring autonomous ride-sharing to Atlanta when the Waymo One experience launches on the Uber app early next year.
According to the official press release: “Uber will manage and dispatch a fleet of Waymo’s fully autonomous, all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, which will grow to hundreds of vehicles over time.” Austin is the other city where Waymo and Uber plan to rollout the service early next year.
According to a recent article in Wired magazine, Waymo is already serving thousands of passengers each week at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Waymo service is currently limited to Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco, so the Atlanta/Austin announcement will definitely change that in 2025.
For more information, see the official press release on waymo.com.
VerdeGo Aero Receives Air Force Contract For VH-3 Powerplant
VerdeGo Aero, a leader in the hybrid-electric aviation industry, has been awarded an almost $2 million award which will result in the completion and testing of an innovative hybrid power plant that has been under development for 2 years.
Daytona Beach-based VerdeGo Aero was the recipient of a $1.9 million Sequential Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) contract with the U.S. Air Force to build and test the first prototype
VerdeGo Aero CEO Eric Bartsch shared his enthusiasm over the award announcement which will allow the company to finally confirm the performance, efficiency, and initial durability of the VH-3:
“VerdeGo Aero is excited to take the next step in refining the VH-3 hybrid-electric powerplant as we advance towards low-volume production. This powerplant is a critical enabler of electrified drone and aircraft programs requiring an efficient source of power for missions requiring significant range, payload, and speed capabilities.” – Eric Bartsch
To learn more about VerdeGo Aero’s full product line, visit verdegoaero.com.
Contact CII Today
If you own an established aviation services business in Florida or Georgia and would like to get a better understanding of the current market value of your company and important steps you can take today to maximize that value, get in touch with a CII business advisor today.