News Roundup May 2026

The governing ICAO Council has adopted new and more stringent environmental standards that will affect new aircraft around the world, including next-generation supersonic jets. The ICAO CO2 emissions standard was made 10% more stringent and is applicable to new aircraft type designs as of 2031. In addition, a complex more stringent CO2 emissions standard was also adopted that will apply to new deliveries of in-production aircraft types from 2035. A new noise standard will be applicable to new aircraft type designs as of 2029 that will raise the bar by six decibels for large aircraft types and two decibels for smaller ones. As of 2029, potential supersonic aircraft will need to comply with the noise limits that apply to today’s subsonic aircraft.

The UK government has confirmed in a letter to the House of Commons Transport Committee that it will include the UK’s share of international aviation emissions in its future legally-binding climate budgets. The government has laid a statutory instrument to formally include these emissions in the nation’s Sixth Carbon Budget (2033-37), all subsequent carbon budgets and the UK’s overall net zero target. “This legislation means the UK can finally consistently ensure that all its emissions are accounted for and plan mitigation strategies accordingly,” commented the Committee’s Chair, Ruth Cadbury MP.

Hydrogen-electric aircraft pioneer ZeroAvia reports the US Federal Aviation Administration has published the special conditions for the company’s 600kW electric engine as a Final Rule to the Federal Register, a major step towards type certification of the company’s electric propulsion system and wider hydrogen-electric powertrain. The special conditions contain the additional safety standards the FAA Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by existing airworthiness standards.

American Express Global Business Travel and Shell Aviation have announced an extended agreement with Google to source SAF environmental attribute information through the blockchain-enabled, book-and-claim SAF registry Avelia. The deal will support Google’s ongoing efforts to reduce aviation emissions through sustained SAF investment, says the company. Avelia reports over 64 million gallons of SAF have so far been injected at 18 airports around the world, with 66 corporations and airlines joining Avelia, and more than 1,300 retirements executed.

Italy’s national carrier ITA Airways reports it is expecting to deliver more than 7,100 tons of fuel savings and 22,100 tons of CO2 across 2025 and 2026 as a result of deploying SITA’s OptiFlight AI-powered tool. Rolled across the airline’s fleet, OptiFlight calculates the most efficient climb profile for each flight by adjusting airspeed, acceleration, altitude transitions and climb Mach using predictive analytics, machine learning and 4D weather data. “Data-driven insights and artificial intelligence allow us to achieve significant fuel savings and emissions reductions without compromising efficiency or safety,” said Francesco Presicce, ITA Airways’ Chief Innovation and Strategic Projects/Vision.

A report from the joint UK government and industry Jet Zero Taskforce suggests hydrogen-powered aviation could become commercially viable for small aircraft on some routes by 2030, provided supporting infrastructure and regulatory frameworks are developed. Sub-regional aircraft (with fewer than 19 seats) are expected to be capable of supporting the UK’s existing route network, particularly in rural and island regions. Public Service Obligation (PSO) routes offer an adaptable mechanism to provide subsidy for initial operations while the system is still being cost optimised, says the report.

UK leisure carrier Jet2.com has applied lightweight paint to over 80 of its aircraft, which it says accounts for an annual fuel saving of almost a quarter of a million litres, equating to a reduction of over 500 tonnes of CO2 emissions. The paint, manufactured by AkzoNobel, has a weight saving of more than 20kg per aircraft. The work has been carried out by aircraft paint specialists Airbourne Colours and as well as the existing fleet, all of the carrier’s brand-new Airbus A321neo aircraft are being delivered with the paint already applied. The company’s entire fleet will be using it by 2030.

Dublin-based Tao Climate has launched a live aviation carbon intelligence dashboard, AirOS, which the company says is designed to make the sector’s carbon footprint “visible, understandable and actionable”. Built using real-world aviation datasets and designed for clarity and usability, the dashboard translates complex carbon information into intuitive, real-time insights, adds the company.

Emsurge, a technology provider for environmental markets, reports it has successfully completed the first auction of CORSIA Phase 1-labelled eligible carbon credits conducted on its platform. The auction, run by independent NGO certifier CACE on behalf of project developer SIPCO, saw credits from the Verra-certified Cambodian Water Purifiers Project trade at a high of $14.10 /tCO2e “to multiple buyers”. All trades were CIX cleared. Further SIPCO auctions are planned on Emsurge, the next on May 5.