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SAS and Airbus to research electric aircraft infrastructure
STOCKHOLM, May 22, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Scandinavian airline SAS and aircraft
maker Airbus said Wednesday they were partnering to research eco-system and
infrastructure requirements for hybrid and electric aircrafts.
The partnership would involve a joint research project where the two
companies work together to investigate challenges “regarding operations and
infrastructure linked to large scale introduction of hybrid and electric
aircraft in commercial traffic,” according to a statement published by SAS.
“We are proud of our ambitious sustainability work and are now pleased that
Airbus has chosen SAS to partner up with us for this future project. If this
becomes a reality, it will revolutionize emissions,” Rickard Gustafson, CEO
of SAS, said in a statement.
According to a separate statement the collaboration between the two
companies would start in June 2019 and continue until the end of 2020 and
would “focus on analysing the impact of ground infrastructure and charging on
range, resources, time and availability at airports”.
The project also included a plan to involve a renewable energy supplier and
aimed “to address the entire aircraft operations ecosystem in order to better
support the aviation industry’s transition to sustainable energy”.
BSS/AFP/RY/1750 hrs