Sustainability In The Air

In this episode, we speak with Bruce Fleming, CEO of Montana Renewables, the leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel in the United States. 
Rather than building a new SAF facility from the ground up, Montana Renewables converted a portion of an existing crude oil refinery in Great Falls, Montana to process feedstocks including used cooking oil, agricultural waste, and emerging crops into SAF, renewable diesel, and renewable hydrogen.
Fleming discusses:
The retrofit model: Why converting an existing crude oil refinery is a fundamentally different capital proposition from building a greenfield SAF plant.
Feedstock agnosticism: Why the company is indifferent to which renewable feedstocks run through its system, including its claim to be the first producer to have made SAF from camelina, a cover crop that does not compete with food production and carries a very low carbon intensity score.
The investment drought: Why private capital has effectively exited the SAF space, and the direct link between regulatory unpredictability and the absence of long-term investment. 
The book-and-claim efficiency case: Why separating the physical movement of SAF from its associated emissions certificate could save a dollar per gallon in logistics costs, and how a global book-and-claim system could accelerate SAF adoption.
Fuelling small, not large: Why the immediate SAF opportunity lies in general aviation and regional operations rather than long-haul commercial carriers.
If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Adam Klauber, Chief Sustainability Officer at World Energy, who shares how the book-and-claim model has evolved from a concept to a practical mechanism for scaling corporate demand for SAF. Check it out here.
Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more.
Feel free to reach out via email to [email protected]. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It's about time.
Links & More: 
Montana Renewables 
Sustainable Aviation Fuel - Montana Renewables 
Montana Renewables and World Energy join forces to drive efficiency and scale in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) deliveries - World Energy 
Montana Renewables launches MaxSAF™ Blended, accelerating SAF supply - ChemAnalyst

In this episode, we speak with Martina Di Palma and Achilleas Achilleos, Sustainable Aviation Officer and Strategic Programs Officer respectively at the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). 
They discuss:
Why existing CO2 calculators fall short: How today’s flight emissions tools rely on estimates rather than actual fuel burn data.
The regulatory foundation: How the Flight Emissions Label (FEL) sits within Article 14 of the RefuelEU Aviation regulation, and why EASA is confident the scheme is here to stay regardless of whether it becomes mandatory.
The first-mover dilemma: Why some airlines pushed back against early adoption of the FEL, what the genuine commercial risks of being first are.
SAF integration as an incentive mechanism: How the label discounts CO2 emissions based on SAF use, why this creates a direct reputational and financial incentive for airlines to increase SAF uptake, and how EASA is working with airlines including Air France KLM to optimise SAF accounting within the label.
Label 2 and the road ahead: What the next phase of development could include, and why EASA has made its flight emissions calculator open-source in the hope that other regions will adopt a similar standard.
If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Rachel Gardner-Poole from NATS, who shares how GAIN (Green Aviation Insights Network) is bringing together air navigation service providers from around the world to optimise flight paths and reduce emissions. Check it out here.
Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more.
Feel free to reach out via email to [email protected]. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.
Links & More: 
EASA - European Union Aviation Safety Agency 
Flight Emissions Label (FEL) 
RefuelEU Aviation Regulation - European Commission 
Google Travel Impact Model 
DigiMove - EU Digital Transport and Logistics Forum

In this episode, Dirk Singer speaks with Meg Gentle, Executive Director at HIF Global, about how synthetic fuels and waste-based pathways could reshape the economics of sustainable aviation fuel.
Gentle discusses:
Why Chile’s exceptional wind resources made it the starting point for HIF’s first e-fuels facility, and how that model is now being replicated globally
How e-fuels are produced by combining green hydrogen with captured CO2 to create transportable liquid fuels like methanol and jet fuel
Why HIF Global is pursuing two SAF pathways in parallel: e-methanol-to-jet for Europe and RNG-based SAF for the US
How waste-based fuels, particularly those derived from methane emissions, can achieve very low or even negative carbon intensity
Why the real bottleneck to scaling SAF is not technology or capital, but long-term policy certainty and “early mover protection”
How SAF markets could evolve toward a carbon intensity-based pricing model, where fuels compete on dollars per tonne of CO2 abated rather than feedstock or pathway
If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with James Hygate, CEO of Firefly Green Fuels, who discusses the company’s novel approach that turns sewage into jet fuel. Check it out here. 
Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more.
Feel free to reach out via email to [email protected]. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.
Links & More:
HIF Global
HIF Haru Oni: The first operating e-Fuels facility in the world - HIF Global  
HIF Global and eFuel One ink deal for gigawatt-scale green hydrogen and methanol project in Uruguay - Fuel Cells Works 
HIF Global to provide green hydrogen-based fuels for tourists in southern Chile and Antarctica this summer - Hydrogen Insight

In this episode, we speak with Steven Fitzgerald, Director of Sustainability and Finance at Ryanair, who shares how Europe's largest low-cost carrier is navigating the tension between aggressive growth targets and decarbonisation commitments.
Fitzgerald discusses:
Ryanair's early SAF commitment before mandates existed: Why the airline set a 12.5% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) target for 2030 five years ago, and how they've now secured access to 80% of that volume.
The true cost of ETS compliance: How Ryanair expects to spend between €1.4 and €1.5 billion next year complying with the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and SAF mandates, and why the geographic patchwork of carbon pricing creates competitive distortions that policy needs to address.
Investing in pre-certification research: The €4 million partnership with Trinity College Dublin, funding pre-certification screening tools that can predict SAF viscosity and density using just one gram of fuel, de-risking the approval process for new pathways and accelerating 2G and 3G SAF development.
The untapped FEETS mechanism opportunity: Why only a small share of the 20 million SAF-ETS allowances has been claimed, how 3G SAF purchases can receive 95% of the price differential back, and why extending FEETS to 2040 could accelerate SAF production.
Building a SAF supplier ecosystem: The three criteria Ryanair uses when selecting partners: credibility (a proven track record in renewable fuels), scale (alignment with Ryanair’s route network) and ambition (commitment to advanced SAF pathways beyond first-generation supply). 
If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Nina Marczell, SVP Industrial Sales & Marketing for Fuels & Feedstock at OMV, about how the integrated energy company is leading Europe's SAF development from early production to commercial scale. Check it out here. 
Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more.

Feel free to reach out via email to [email protected]. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.
Links & More:
Sustainability - Ryanair 
Ryanair Sustainable Aviation Research Centre - Trinity College Dublin 
Ryanair outlines runway to net zero in sustainability report - Sustainability Online 
Catagen launches ClimaHtech Green Flight with landmark SAF deal - SimpliFlying

In this episode, we speak with Kyle Clark, Founder and CEO of BETA Technologies, who shares how his company went from a college thesis to a publicly traded electric aviation manufacturer delivering real aircraft and generating revenue from military, medical and cargo customers.
Clark discusses:
The advantage of electric flight: How batteries deliver propulsion at 95% efficiency versus 30% for conventional engines, and how reducing the drag by 30-40% helps electric aircraft achieve meaningful range despite batteries being 30 times less energy dense than jet fuel.
The vertical integration imperative: Why aerospace engineering demands system-level optimisation across motors, inverters, batteries and aerodynamics, making vertical integration essential rather than optional for electric aircraft.
Strategic market entry through low-friction use cases: Why Beta prioritised military, medical and cargo applications over urban air mobility.
The CTOL-first certification pathway: How Beta’s dual-configuration approach (conventional takeoff and landing, then adding vertical takeoff capability) enables earlier type certification, while competitors pursue more complex certification paths.
Charging infrastructure as a standalone business: How Beta’s charging network may become as valuable as the aircraft business, already extending along the East Coast and winning international contracts like Abu Dhabi.
The “team member” culture at scale: Beta’s radical approach to titles and ownership, giving equity to all employees, and maintaining a flying programme for all staff.
If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO of REGENT, who shares how his company is developing all-electric Seagliders. Check it out here.
Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more.
Feel free to reach out via email to [email protected]. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.
Links & More:
BETA Technologies 
Amazon Buys 5.3% Stake in BETA Technologies - Yahoo 
Air New Zealand and BETA Technologies launch first electric aircraft programme - AeroMorning
GE Aerospace & BETA partner on $300m hybrid-electric aviation push - Aerospace Global News