News Extra February 2026

LATAM Airlines Group has extended the use of the AeroSHARK riblet film coating to its entire Boeing 777 fleet. Developed by Lufthansa Technik and BASF Coatings, the modification reduces aircraft drag by one per cent, which will enable LATAM to leverage annual savings of up to 4,000 tonnes of jet fuel and 12,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions with the modification of the whole fleet. Lufthansa Technik has plans to introduce the modification for an Airbus type, namely the A330ceo, and also modify even larger areas of the aircraft to leverage greater savings.

A Norwegian electric aviation test project carried out between Bristow, BETA Technologies, airport operator Avinor and CAA Norway has concluded after six months of operational testing. The BETA Technologies ALIA aircraft performed 126 flights covering 8,748 nautical miles (16,201km) on a cargo route between Stavanger and Bergen. Airports, air traffic control and regulators were able to gain hands-on experience with charging infrastructure, winter operations, new procedures and future training needs. The project also highlighted strategic needs for the next phase of electric aviation, including the development of robust charging solutions, winter-adapted infrastructure and dedicated training for fire and rescue services related to batteries and alternative fuels.

A case brought by a coalition of NGOs, including Opportunity Green, was due to be heard on February 24 in the EU General Court in Luxembourg. The case challenges the European Commission’s decision to allow fossil fuel-powered planes and ships to be labelled as ‘sustainable investments’ under the EU Taxonomy, the EU’s green finance classification system. The judgment could take 9 to 11 months after the hearing. The NGOs had formally asked the Commission two years ago to reconsider the Taxonomy criteria for the two transport sectors but the Commission refused.

The Emerging Africa & Asia Infrastructure Fund, managed by Ninety One, has committed €40 million ($47m) in sustainability-linked financing to Cabo Verde Airports to support the second phase of a programme to expand, modernise and decarbonise seven airports across Cabo Verde, the Small Island Developing State off the coast of West Africa. The programme is designed to accommodate sustained growth in passenger traffic while improving service quality and safety. Sustainability measures embedded in the programme include on-site solar PV and battery storage, energy-efficient terminal upgrades, external shading to improve occupant comfort and reduce energy demand, water recycling and wastewater treatment facilities, improved surface water drainage systems, and commitments to reduce airport emissions by 30% by 2030, with a pathway consistent with Vinci Concessions’ objective to reach net zero by 2050.

Lufthansa and sister airlines SWISS and Edelweiss have joined the IATA Turbulence Aware programme that collects anonymised data on turbulence from flights operated by participating airlines. This real-time data provides pilots with accurate information about current atmospheric conditions, and supplements traditional weather forecasts and enables more precise flight planning. Scientists attribute the increase in the frequency and intensity of aircraft turbulence to climate change because of how it alters wind patterns and weather conditions.

UK leisure carrier Jet2.com has completed a two-year retrofit installation programme, which has seen Split Scimitar Winglets supplied by Aviation Partners Boeing installed onto 74 of its Boeing 737-800NG aircraft. The retrofit is expecting to reduce fuel burn by 1.5%, representing a decrease in annual fuel consumption by more than 11 million litres and cut the airline’s annual carbon emissions by over 28,000 tonnes.

European trade body Airlines for Europe (A4E) says EU airlines are shouldering a disproportionate share of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and is calling for its reform. A4E chief Ourania Georgoutsakou said the scheme should not be extended to routes beyond the EU, a proposal under consideration by the EU. “If the EU is serious about protecting competitiveness, the fairest way to level the global playing field is to bring down ETS costs in line with the international CORSIA mechanism,” she said. ETS prices remain volatile and far above forecasts, argue A4E, and would translate into costs of around €5 billion by 2030, double that of 2024, as free allowances for aviation are fully phased out.