United CSO Lauren Riley and Carbon Direct's Nili Gilbert discuss the road to sustainable aviation fuel in the context of climate change and industry shifts. The aviation sector has long been under scrutiny for its environmental impact. Since the dawn of commercial flight, concerns about its ecological footprint have been ever-present. Today, as we face the urgent challenge of climate change, the industry finds itself at a critical juncture. Airlines currently account for 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with an estimated 37.8m annual flights generating a staggering 800m tonnes of CO₂. These figures paint a stark picture of the industry's environmental toll. But is this carbon-convenience trade-off inevitable? According to Nili Gilbert, Vice Chairwoman of Carbon Direct and Lauren Riley, CSO of United Airlines, the answer is a resounding no. Their vision for the future of aviation centres on a game-changing solution: sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).<br/>
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Greece's largest carrier, Aegean Airlines, on Thursday posted a 19% fall in quarterly net profit, citing the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut, as well as mandatory early inspections on engines, grounding up to 17% of its jet fleet. Aegean, a member of the Star Alliance airlines group, said its net profit reached E108.3m in the third quarter, compared with 133.6m a year earlier, while its quarterly revenue was also down 3% to E630.8m. The carrier said that from the end of July the ongoing situation in the Middle East affected up to 11 daily flights from Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Rhodes and Larnaca and led to a reduction of 3.5-4% of international traffic in the third quarter. The third quarter, which includes the busy summer months, is usually the strongest for European airlines, but rising costs, unpredictability tied to the crisis in the Middle East and plane delivery delays continue to weigh on results.<br/>
Lufthansa is looking to gradually reduce jobs in administration by 20% as it steels itself against a projected drop in earnings, the Manager Magazin reported on Thursday. The planned job cuts would impact 400 positions, the report said. Lufthansa declined to comment directly on the reported layoffs but said that it was aiming to cut costs in the area of administration by 20% by 2028, drawing on more digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and automation. "There is currently a hiring freeze in the administrative areas of Lufthansa Airlines," a spokesperson for the company added. "A reduction in the number of staff is to be achieved through age-related, natural fluctuation." The German business magazine cited an internal projection warning of an operating loss of E800m in 2026 if the airline continues on its beleaguered trajectory. The spokesperson declined to comment on this projection. Lufthansa saw operating profit drop by 9% in the third quarter as its flagship brand struggles with low yields, competition with international airlines and spiralling costs.<br/>