Preparing for Take-Off: Examining Efforts to Address Climate Change at U.S. Airports (U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Aviation)

Hearing	Preparing for Take-Off: Examining Efforts to Address Climate Change at U.S. Airports
Committee	U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Aviation
Date	May 17, 2022

 

Hearing Takeaways:

• The Aviation Sector’s Impact on Climate Change: The hearing focused on both government and aviation industry efforts to reduce the aviation sector’s impacts on climate change. Subcommittee Members and the hearing’s witnesses highlighted how the sector was responsible for as much as 9 percent of the U.S. transportation sector’s carbon emissions and close to 3 percent of total carbon emissions globally. They raised concerns that these figures would grow if action were not taken.
  • Public Sector Efforts to Address Emissions in the Aviation Sector: In terms of government efforts, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released an Aviation Climate Action Plan in November 2021 that called for achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the aviation sector by 2050. Moreover, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has launched the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).
  • Private Sector Efforts to Address Emissions in the Aviation Sector: In terms of aviation industry efforts, both Airports Council International (ACI) and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) had adopted their own carbon emissions reduction goals. 
• Airport Energy Infrastructure and Consumption: Subcommittee Members and the hearing’s witnesses expressed interest in how airports were developing their energy infrastructures to become more environmentally friendly and to change their energy consumption patterns.
  • Airport Energy Generation Opportunities: Mr. Hoback and Mr. Bunce discussed how airports could develop energy generation capabilities to power their own operations, improve their resiliency, and sell excess power to their local communities. Mr. Hoback highlighted how his airport, Pittsburgh International Airport, had installed the world’s first airport microgrid.
  • Airport Usage of Natural Gas: One key area of interest during the hearing involved the use of natural gas as a means of reducing airport carbon emissions. Mr. Hoback asserted that the use of natural gas could help airports transition to cleaner energy sources over time. Del. Holmes Norton (D-DC) raised concerns however that the airport industry’s use of natural gas could eventually become problematic given how natural gas was not a renewable resource.
  • Need for Stress Testing for Airport Resilience: Subcommittee Chairman Rick Larsen (D-WA), Mr. Horton, and Ms. Bies all emphasized the importance of having airports stress test their resilience capabilities to ensure that the airports could continue to support critical functions following disaster events.
• Federal Airport Infrastructure Funding Programs: Subcommittee Members and the hearing’s witnesses highlighted several available sources of federal aviation infrastructure funding programs and expressed interest in the leveraging of these programs to achieve environmental and sustainability goals.
  • Voluntary Airport Low Emissions (VALE) Program: Subcommittee Members and the hearing’s witnesses highlighted how the FAA’s VALE Program enabled airports to use federal funds to finance low emission vehicles and related infrastructure, electric gate and gate equipment, and other airport quality improvements. Full Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) expressed interest in expanding VALE Program eligibility to all airports.
  • Airport Improvement Program (AIP): Subcommittee Members and the hearing’s witnesses highlighted how airports could leverage FAA AIP funds for energy reduction measures, sustainability planning, and the purchase of zero-emissions vehicles and related infrastructure.
  • Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) and Infrastructure Pilot Program: Mr. Horton further mentioned how his airport, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), had made use of the FAA’s Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) and Infrastructure Pilot Program grants to support its adoption of electric vehicles (EVs).
• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF): Subcommittee Members and the hearing’s witnesses expressed significant interest in supporting the development and distribution of SAFs. They contended that SAFs would play a key role in reducing the aviation sector’s emissions. Ms. Ardizzone predicted however that it would take several decades for there to exist enough SAFs to support the airline industry. She also stated that the airline industry would likely need to transition to an eclectic-based system over the longer term.
  • High Costs of SAF: Subcommittee Members and the hearing’s witnesses highlighted how SAFs were currently not cost competitive with conventional jet fuel. They expressed hope that the Biden administration’s SAF Grand Challenge would help to make SAFs more economical.
  • Need for SAF Infrastructure: Subcommittee Members and the hearing’s witnesses also discussed the need for the U.S. to build the infrastructure in order to blend and distribute SAF at airports. Mr. Plaza commented that this infrastructure would be particularly needed to support airports facing supply resiliency challenges due to weather events and earthquakes. 
  • SAF Blenders Tax Credit: Ms. Ardizzone, Ms. Bies, and Mr. Plaza all expressed support for a federal SAF blenders tax credit. They contended that such a tax credit would improve the commercial viability of SAF (especially vis-à-vis conventional jet fuel).
  • The Aviation Emissions Reduction Opportunity (AERO) Act: Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA) mentioned how she was working on a discussion draft of the AERO Act, which was based on U.S. Senate legislation. This legislation would create a grant program at the U.S. Department of Transportation that would provide funding to SAF producers to construct facilities and scale up operations for the production, transportation, and storage of SAF. Ms. Ardizzone, Mr. Plaza, and Mr. Bunce all expressed support for the legislation.
  • Use of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program to Support SAF Production: Mr. Plaza further stated that other federal programs, such as the RFS Program, would need to support the production of SAFs. He highlighted how crop-based fuels were the only fuels approved under the RFS Program, which he commented were limited in scale. He stated that policymakers would need to expand the types of fuels permitted under the RFS Program.
  • Use of Lead in Aircraft Fuel: Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) expressed concerns over the continued use of lead in aviation fuel for piston engine aircrafts. He noted how lead exposure was associated with adverse health impacts. Mr. Bunce highlighted how the aviation manufacturing industry was actively working to transition away from fuels that included lead and asserted that alternatives were proving elusive. He stated that Congress could support efforts to identify alternative fuels through ensuring that the FAA possessed sufficient resources to test the alternative fuel formulations.
• Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Technologies: Subcommittee Members and the hearing’s witnesses expressed significant interest in the development of AAM technologies, which they stated could help to reduce aviation emissions. Subcommittee Chairman Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Mr. Bunce highlighted how the Full Committee had recently approved the Advanced Aviation Infrastructure Modernization (AAIM) Act to support the deployment of AAM vehicles.
  • Criticism of the FAA’s Treatment of AAM Technologies: Subcommittee Ranking Member Garret Graves (R-LA) and Mr. Bunce criticized the FAA for its use of 14 CFR Part 23 (which are the federal regulations governing airworthiness standards) to certify AAM vehicles and drones as special class aircrafts. They asserted that there was no safety justification for this certification. They stated that the FAA’s approach would create uncertainty surrounding whether AAM vehicles could be validated. Mr. Bunce further raised concerns over recent staff turnover at the FAA and called for more FAA staff training.
  • Hydrogen-Powered Aircrafts: Several Subcommittee Members, Mr. Bunce, and Mr. Miftakhov expressed interest in the prospects of hydrogen-powered aircrafts being used to support the decarbonization of the aviation sector. Subcommittee Chairman Larsen and Mr. Miftakhov stated however that the current lack of adequate hydrogen infrastructure was impeding the deployment of hydrogen-powered aircraft. Full Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio also noted how existing hydrogen-powered aircrafts (including ZeroAvia’s aircrafts) used brown and blue hydrogen, which were both fossil fuel pollutants.
• Aircraft Noise Pollution Reduction Technologies: Subcommittee Members and the hearing’s witnesses further expressed interest in working to combat the challenge of aircraft noise pollution. Mr. Bunce highlighted how new technologies would enable lighter aircrafts with total flow control and continuous descent approaches, which would be less noisy. He acknowledged however that the use of flight route planning software (which was intended to enable more efficient flights) would cause aircrafts to fly over the same spots repeatedly, which could lead people in certain locations to experience more noise pollution.
  • Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise (CLEEN) Program: Subcommittee Chairman Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA) highlighted how the FAA maintained the CLEEN Program, which sought to address the issue of aircraft noise pollution.

Hearing Witnesses:

1. Ms. Ann Ardizzone, Vice President, Supply Chain, Alaska Airlines
2. Mr. Paul Hoback, Jr., Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Allegheny County Airport Authority
3. Mr. Robert Horton, Vice President of Environmental Affairs, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
4. Mr. Pete Bunce, President and CEO, General Aviation Manufacturers Association
5. Ms. Jennifer Bies, Director of Environmental Operations, Port of Portland
6. Mr. John Plaza, President and CEO, SkyNRG Americas
7. Mr. Val Miftakhov, Founder and CEO, ZeroAvia

Member Opening Statements:

Subcommittee Chairman Rick Larsen (D-WA):

• He expressed his interest in working to move the U.S. towards a more environmentally friendly air transportation system.
  • He noted how aviation and aerospace were responsible for as much as 9 percent of the U.S. transportation sector’s carbon emissions and close to 3 percent of total carbon emissions globally.
• He stated that aviation carbon emissions impacted the communities located directly near airports and that these emissions caused poor air quality, increased health risks, and reduced property values.
• He mentioned how the FAA had released its first Aviation Climate Action Plan in November 2021 and noted how this plan had called for achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the aviation sector by 2050 through implementing specific sustainability and environmental measures.
  • He highlighted how some of these measures, such as performance-based navigation, already existed and were currently being implemented.
• He remarked that Congress would need to support the development of the FAA’s Aviation Climate Action Plan’s proposed tools, including the production and distribution of cleaner fuels, the use of alternative propulsion systems, and the adoption of international initiatives (such as the ICAO’s CORSIA).
• He also mentioned how he was working to develop a legislative proposal with Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA) to provide federal funding for SAF producers to build or scale up facilities and infrastructure for the production, storage, and distribution of SAF.
  • He indicated that this legislative proposal would build off language within the Build Back Better Act and had received input from the FAA and other aviation industry stakeholders.
• He stated that the Subcommittee must evaluate existing FAA programs and policies aimed at reducing emissions from U.S. airports and work to develop new tools to make the aviation sector more environmentally friendly.
  • He commented that this work would be key in preparing for the upcoming FAA reauthorization.
• He then discussed how airports had proactively worked to reduce their carbon emissions and highlighted how ACI had adopted several decarbonization and resiliency measures.
  • He noted that these measures included airport energy efficiency standards, the use of low- and zero-emission transportation and ground support vehicles, climate risk assessments, and flood mitigation projects.
• He also mentioned how the U.S. government supported various initiatives to support emission reduction technologies and strategies.
  • He highlighted how the FAA’s VALE Program enabled airports to use federal funds to finance low emission vehicles and related infrastructure, electric gate and gate equipment, and other airport quality improvements.
  • He noted how the FAA’s CLEEN Program helped to accelerate the development of new aircraft and engine technologies, as well as alternative fuels for aviation.
  • He further noted how U.S. airports could use AIP funds for energy reduction measures, sustainability planning, and the purchases of zero-emissions vehicles and related infrastructure.
• He then discussed how emerging aviation technologies (including alternative fuels and aircraft propulsion systems) could help to reduce carbon emissions at airports and asserted that there existed significant barriers to the widespread adoption of SAF.
  • He commented that high production costs had led to lower availability and higher prices for SAF, which made it difficult for many carriers and airports to make use of SAF.
• He stated that the development of full or hybrid electric aircrafts could address carbon emissions concerns and noted how several airlines and AAM companies were developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircrafts for potential use for short-range flights.
  • He mentioned how the Full Committee had recently approved his bipartisan AAIM Act to help airports and local communities to plan for these new aircrafts.
• He lastly discussed how hydrogen could be used to support the decarbonization of the aviation sector.
  • He acknowledged however that there remained problems surrounding the storage and transport of hydrogen.

Subcommittee Ranking Member Garret Graves (R-LA):

• He mentioned how many of his constituents had raised aviation-related concerns related to airport congestion, higher energy prices (which were leading to higher airline ticket prices), and labor challenges (which were leading to canceled flight routes).
• He remarked that new aviation technologies and new entrants into the aviation space, including AAM and drone companies, could help to address the aforementioned issues.
  • He also highlighted how these new technologies and new entrants were helping to address the issue of noise pollution within the aviation sector.
• He criticized the FAA for its use of 14 CFR Part 23 (which are the federal regulations governing airworthiness standards) to certify AAM vehicles and drones as special class aircrafts and asserted that there was no safety justification for this certification.
  • He asserted that the FAA’s actions in this instance diverted attention away from genuine safety issues related to AAM vehicles, including operations, pilot training, fire suppression, aircraft security, and general integration into airspace.
• He then remarked that progress in reducing airport carbon emissions was often achieved when the U.S. government collaborated with industry to address the subject (rather than through taking unilateral action).
  • He highlighted how the U.S. government’s collaboration with the aviation industry on aircraft engines provided an example of a way to effectively reduce carbon emissions within the aviation sector.
• He noted how the U.S. aviation industry’s total carbon emissions had remained relatively static, despite the fact that aviation travel had increased.
• He discussed how aircrafts accounted for 9 percent of the U.S. transportation sector’s carbon emissions and approximately 3 percent of the U.S.’s total emissions in 2018.
  • He also mentioned how airport operations were estimated to account for less than 2 percent of the U.S. aviation sector’s total carbon emissions.
  • He further noted how the civil aviation sector accounted for approximately 1.3 percent of global carbon emissions and added that this amount was expected to increase over the coming decades.
• He remarked that the U.S. was the global leader in terms of reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiencies.
• He highlighted however that China’s increases in carbon emissions were more than offsetting the U.S.’s reductions in carbon emissions.
  • He added that China was expected to increase its carbon emissions by 50 percent between now and 2030, which he called concerning.
• He remarked that the U.S. ought to work to build upon its success in terms of improving the resilience of its airports and supporting the environment.

Full Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR):

• He noted how the aviation sector was growing and asserted that the U.S. needed to focus on reducing carbon emissions within this sector.
  • He mentioned how the United Kingdom (UK) had just announced that it would provide a “substantial prize” for the first airline in the world that could fly between the UK and the U.S. using 100 percent SAF.
• He lamented how the U.S. Senate had omitted sections of the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA) that would have provided “substantial funding” for SAF technology and infrastructure.
• He then expressed frustration with how the FAA was engaged in a lengthy rulemaking process over the most recent FAA reauthorization bill’s requirement that flight attendants have the same duty rest times as pilots.
  • He asserted that the reauthorization bill’s language was unambiguous and should not have required the FAA to engage in a lengthy rulemaking process.

Witness Opening Statements:

Ms. Ann Ardizzone (Alaska Airlines):

• She discussed how her airline, Alaska Airlines, had announced sustainability goals in April 2021 and stated that the airline aimed to be the U.S.’s most fuel-efficient airline by 2025.
  • She also testified that Alaska Airlines had set a longer-term goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040.
• She indicated that Alaska Airlines’s sustainability efforts involved five key elements: operational efficiency, fleet renewal, SAF, new propulsion technology, and carbon offsets.
• She mentioned how Alaska Airlines was using a new software system to help dispatchers optimize flight paths for safety and efficiency.
  • She also noted how Alaska Airlines worked with its airport partners to support electric ground service equipment and called on Congress to expand the VALE Program.
• She then discussed how Alaska Airlines was modernizing its fleet with more efficient aircrafts and remarked that SAFs should be the “immediate focus” for carbon reduction efforts in aviation.
  • She also mentioned how Alaska Airlines had announced a collaboration with ZeroAvia on new propulsion technologies that would consider the feasibility of retrofitting existing aircrafts with hybrid and/or zero emissions technologies.
• She commented that while carbon offsets would be a necessary component of Alaska Airlines’s efforts to reduce its carbon emissions, she asserted that her airline viewed these offsets as a short-term solution.
• She then further discussed the various benefits of SAFs, including its safety, availability, ability to support existing aircrafts, and effectiveness in reducing carbon emissions.
  • She elaborated that SAF reduced carbon emissions by 80 percent on a lifecycle basis.
• She highlighted however that SAF availability was currently “well below” 1 percent of total fuel demand and that SAFs currently cost between two and six times more than conventional jet fuel.
• She expressed the support of Alaska Airlines for the SAF blenders tax credit.
  • She asserted that a meaningful SAF-specific tax credit was necessary to encourage investment in the sector and to eliminate the existing disincentives for SAF production.
• She also expressed the support of Alaska Airlines for the AERO Act, which would create a grant program at the U.S. Department of Transportation that would help SAF producers to construct facilities and to scale up operations for the production, transportation, and storage of SAFs.
• She remarked that public policy and positive incentives should seek to provide equal access to SAFs for all carriers and to encourage SAF supplier diversification.
  • She asserted that a robust domestic SAF market would benefit U.S. energy independence and create jobs.

Mr. Paul Hoback, Jr. (Allegheny County Airport Authority):

• He noted how his organization, Allegheny County Airport Authority, operated Pittsburgh International Airport and discussed how this airport was experiencing growing passenger traffic and cargo operations.
• He remarked that Pittsburgh International Airport was working diligently to address climate change and highlighted how the airport had installed the world’s first airport microgrid.
  • He stated that this microgrid made the airport entirely self-sufficient for power generation and had “significantly” decreased the airport’s carbon emissions.
• He indicated that Pittsburgh International Airport’s microgrid had four main goals: improving the resiliency and reliability, supporting sustainability efforts, lowering electricity costs, and supporting the local natural gas industry.
• He mentioned how Pittsburgh International Airport had launched its microgrid in the summer of 2021 and testified that the effects of this microgrid were immediately visible.
• He noted how the Pittsburgh International Airport’s microgrid served as the primary electric power source for the terminal and airport campus and included five natural gas-fired power generators and nearly 10,000 solar panels.
  • He indicated that any of the microgrid’s excess power not used on site was exported to the energy grid.
• He testified that Pittsburgh International Airport’s microgrid’s use of cleaner energy provided a yearly carbon emissions reduction of over 8,000 pounds.
  • He further indicated that his authority was planning to double its number of solar panels through maximizing the available space used for solar energy.
• He acknowledged that Pittsburgh International Airport’s microgrid’s success in terms of reducing carbon emissions was partially attributable to their easy access to natural gas wells on their campus.
• He asserted that natural gas constituted a “transitional step” that would support the aviation industry with its long-term carbon reduction goals.
• He then discussed how Pittsburgh International Airport had taken additional steps to support its environmental goals, including the building of apiaries and the housing of an innovation lab with Carnegie Mellon University.
• He also highlighted how the airport had launched a terminal modernization effort in the fall of 2021 and testified that 81 percent of the construction contracts for this new terminal had been awarded to local companies.
  • He stated that a minimum of 75 percent of the waste generated during the construction process would be recycled and reused.

Mr. Robert Horton (Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport):

• He mentioned how his airport, DFW, had become the first carbon neutral airport in North America in 2016 and indicated that there were currently only three carbon neutral U.S. airports (as well as 70 carbon neutral airports globally).
  • He also testified that DFW was planning to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030, which was two decades before the aviation industry’s 2050 target date.
• He remarked that DFW’s holistic approach to sustainability complemented its business performance.
  • He discussed how DFW had leveraged “innovative procurement methods” in transitioning to the purchasing of renewable electricity.
• He testified that the largest remaining element of DFW’s carbon emissions was facility heating and noted how the airport had developed plans for a new electric central utility plant to reduce the emissions stemming from facility heating.
• He also discussed how DFW’s fleet (including 700 gasoline, diesel, and compressed natural gas vehicles) were a significant contributor to the airport’s carbon emissions and mentioned how DFW had begun to deploy electric airside buses in order to address these emissions.
  • He indicated that DFW had made use of the FAA’s SEV and Infrastructure Pilot Program grants to support its transition to EVs.
  • He further noted how DFW’s access to VALE Program grants had supported the airport’s decarbonization initiatives through increasing electric charging infrastructure.
• He predicted that societal demands for airports would likely surge in the coming years and stated that the broad demand for mass electrification at airports might pose new and uncertain operational challenges.
  • He called it imperative that the U.S. fund research on the stress testing for resilience in order to identify the potential for cascading failures, risks, and impacts.
• He asserted that advancing airport resilience through stress testing would allow for airports to better respond to challenges and improve operations in an increasingly complex and threat diverse environment.
• He remarked that investments in sustainable infrastructure at airports should result in downstream benefits to other connected utilities, companies, and communities.
  • He highlighted how DFW had established a sustainability partnership with several of its tenants (including American Airlines and Hyatt Hotels) to purchase renewable electricity for their on-airport facilities and to add ground power units to reduce emissions from aircraft auxiliary power units.
• He called on the U.S. government to fund airport research into integrated systems-based stress testing and to create a dedicated funding source for airport infrastructure and operational investments in sustainability, resilience, and climate-related measures.

 Mr. Pete Bunce (General Aviation Manufacturers Association):

• He remarked that the aviation industry’s survival was dependent on the industry’s ability to address climate change.
  • He thanked the Subcommittee for its work on SAF and AAM issues.
• He mentioned how his organization, GAMA, had begun to develop carbon emissions reduction goals in 2009 and testified that the aviation industry had been successful in meeting these carbon emissions reduction goals thus far.
  • He indicated that GAMA had set a new goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
• He discussed how the aviation industry’s ability to develop new energy efficiency technologies was dependent on regulatory certification processes from the FAA and other global regulators.
• He remarked that Congress must ensure that SAFs remained a high priority in order to enable the U.S. aviation industry to meet its carbon emissions reduction goals.
  • He argued that it would be impossible for the U.S. aviation industry to meet its carbon emissions reduction goals absent the development and adoption of SAFs.
• He also stated that the U.S. needed to provide electric battery storage capabilities at airports and to enable the energy grid to power new types of aircrafts.
  • He further suggested that hydrogen infrastructure development would be key to supporting the aviation industry’s emissions reduction goals.
• He lastly commended the Committee for its advancement of the AAIM Act and the U.S. House of Representatives for its passage of the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act.

Ms. Jennifer Bies (Port of Portland):

• She remarked that climate change represented one of the greatest challenges facing current and future generations and discussed how her organization, the Port of Portland, was taking actions to combat climate change.
  • She noted how the Port of Portland owned three airports, four marine terminals, and five business parks and operated dredging equipment in order to maintain the navigability of regional rivers.
• She discussed how climate change had caused the Portland region to experience unprecedented weather events, including excessive rain, unconventional snow patterns, and record heats.
  • She commented that these record heats often spawned wildfires.
• She remarked that infrastructure investments must prioritize projects that increase resilience in the face of extreme weather events and natural disasters and address environmental and social inequities.
  • She also asserted that these investments must work to decrease dependence on fossil fuels.
• She noted how the Port of Portland’s largest airport, Portland International Airport (PDX), accounted for over three quarters of the port’s total greenhouse gas emissions and generated air toxics from diesel emissions.
  • She commented that these toxics impacted airport workers and the communities living near the airport (which were often low-income communities and communities of color).
• She testified that the Port of Portland had reduced PDX’s emissions by about 60 percent below 1990 levels and noted how passenger travel had increased by 162 percent since 1990.
• She stated that PDX was able to reduce its emissions through investments in energy efficiency and movements toward cleaner energy and renewable fuels.
  • She specifically mentioned how PDX had transitioned diesel-powered vehicles and equipment to renewable natural gas and renewable diesel, incorporated state of the art renewable energy design into their headquarters building, pursued airport-wide energy efficient lighting upgrades, and installed preconditioned air and ground power units on all loading bridges.
• She expressed the Port of Portland’s support for a SAF blenders tax credit and called for additional funding to support modifications to infrastructure.
  • She indicated that this infrastructure would include the off-airport last mile facilities needed to receive, blend, and deliver SAFs to PDX.
• She also expressed the Port of Portland’s support for the electrification of diesel-powered ground support equipment and mentioned how PDX was partnering with several California airports to develop carbon intensity values needed to participate in Oregon’s Clean Fuels program.
  • She further remarked that PDX needed to secure funding for two major projects: a ground source heating and cooling system in their terminal and a seismically resilient runway.
• She then discussed how airports seeking to use AIP funds must choose between addressing their backlog of deferred asset renewals to maintain safe and effective airport functioning and pursuing transformational projects to address climate change, environmental justice, and regional resilience.
  • She commented that while the IIJA had been a positive development in terms of addressing climate change, she asserted that there currently was not enough available airport funding for addressing climate change.

Mr. John Plaza (SkyNRG Americas):

• He discussed how his company, SkyNRG Americas, was focused on developing SAF and asserted that SAF could play a key role in decarbonizing the aviation sector and enhancing the U.S.’s energy independence.
  • He thanked the Subcommittee for its support for domestic renewable fuels production within the aviation industry.
• He testified SkyNRG Americas’s planned North American facilities would increase SAF supplies for both U.S. airlines and the U.S. military.
• He expressed the commitment of SkyNRG Americas to source SAF from waste-based feedstocks that achieve an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gasses over traditional petroleum jet fuel.
  • He also highlighted how SkyNRG Americas had recently formed partnerships with companies with strong sustainability track records, including Alaska Airlines, Boeing, Microsoft, and Bank of America.
• He discussed how the amount of fuel required to power an aircraft was “immense” and how the burning of fossil-based jet fuel led to significant greenhouse emissions.
• He asserted that the absence of timely action on SAFs could lead the aviation sector’s carbon emissions to grow from 3 percent of the global carbon budget to 27 percent of the global carbon budget by 2050.
  • He attributed this increase to the electrification of on-road transportation and other solutions.
• He noted how demand for SAF had “skyrocketed” over the previous 14 years and stated that federal policies could enable SAF to quickly achieve scale in a manner that both increased volume and decreased costs.
• He remarked that a robust North American SAF industry would attract private sector investment and create jobs (especially in rural areas), ensure nationwide energy security through creating domestic fuel supply chains, and help to stabilize fuel prices through reducing the U.S.’s reliance on volatile global markets.
• He acknowledged that while SAF did not constitute the only means for enabling the U.S. to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, he contended that SAF was a tool for fostering domestic job growth, economic security, and energy security while meeting the emissions goals of the energy sector.
• He stated that Congress could champion three policies to support SAF and capture its economic benefits.
  • He first called on Congress to advance the bipartisan Sustainable Skies Act, which he explained would provide a SAF blenders tax credit to reduce the cost of SAF.
  • He then called on Congress to create a SAF infrastructure grant program (such as the program proposed under the U.S. Senate’s AERO Act).
  • He lastly called on Congress to support the Biden administration’s SAF Grand Challenge, which he described as a whole-of-government effort meant to reduce SAF costs and expand SAF supplies.

Mr. Val Miftakhov (ZeroAvia):

• He discussed how his company, ZeroAvia, built sustainable aviation powertrain systems that sought to address the climate change and health impacts stemming from aviation emissions.
• He noted how the aviation sector currently accounted for 3 percent of the world’s carbon emissions and how the aviation sector was also responsible for high altitude particulate emissions, high altitude nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, and high-altitude high temperature water vapor emissions.
  • He stated that the aforementioned non-carbon emissions could also have significant impacts on the world’s climate.
• He suggested that the aviation sector could eventually become responsible for 50 percent of the human impact on the world’s climate if current trends were allowed to continue and other industries were to adopt successful emissions reductions measures.
• He remarked that ZeroAvia was established to address the problem of aircraft emissions and focused on developing electric propulsion capabilities using hydrogen fuel-cells.
  • He noted how third-party researchers had found that these fuel-cells could possibly abate the climate impact of humans within the aviation sector by between 90 percent and 95 percent.
• He mentioned how his company had already flown the world’s largest hydrogen electric aircraft and indicated that his company planned to fly an even larger hydrogen electric aircraft in the coming weeks.
• He discussed how ZeroAvia’s aviation powertrain systems had strong economics given how their systems had lower operating, maintenance, and fuel expenses than traditional turbine engines.
• He predicted that ZeroAvia’s work would spur rapid changes within the commercial aviation sector.
  • He mentioned how he had previously founded an EV company and highlighted how the adoption of EVs had accelerated very quickly within a very short period of time.
  • He testified that ZeroAvia already had partnerships with Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, British Airways, and Amazon to bring their technologies to the market.
• He then remarked that it was possible to support ZeroAvia’s sustainable systems via on-airport fuel production and called for infrastructure programs to support such production.
  • He mentioned how the UK was already supporting such infrastructure programs and expressed ZeroAvia’s interest in working with the Subcommittee to establish similar programs within the U.S. and to support cross-agency collaboration efforts.

Congressional Question Period:

Full Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR):

• Chairman DeFazio asked Ms. Bies to indicate whether the Port of Portland was able to access the VALE Program in order to support emissions reduction efforts.
  • Ms. Bies stated that the Port of Portland was ineligible for the VALE Program.
• Chairman DeFazio mentioned how he had unsuccessfully tried to make the Port of Portland eligible for the VALE Program and expressed his desire to make all airports eligible for the VALE Program. He then highlighted how the Port of Portland was planning an earthquake-resistant runway and noted how a major earthquake was expected to occur within the Pacific Northwest region. He asked Ms. Bies to indicate whether the Port of Portland had been able to use AIP funds to pay for this earthquake-resistant runway.
  • Ms. Bies testified that the Port of Portland had only successfully obtained funding to complete the design of the earthquake-resistant runway (and not for the construction of this runway).
• Chairman DeFazio expressed interest in working to provide the Port of Portland with access to AIP funds to pay for the construction of their earthquake-resistant runway. He then asked Mr. Miftakhov to indicate the range that ZeroAvia’s aircrafts would be able to fly. He also asked Mr. Miftakhov to indicate when ZeroAvia’s commuter aircrafts would be launched.
  • Mr. Miftakhov indicated that ZeroAvia was expecting to launch an aircraft with between 10 and 20 seats in either 2024 or 2025. He also indicated that ZeroAvia was expecting to launch an aircraft with between 50 and 70 seats in either 2026 or 2027. He further indicated that ZeroAvia was engaged in a partnership with United Airlines to deploy regional jets before the end of the decade. He then noted how the aircraft with between 10 and 20 seats would have a range between 300 and 400 nautical miles plus reserves. He noted how the aircraft with between 50 and 70 seats would have a range of 700 miles.
• Chairman DeFazio then mentioned how ZeroAvia was currently using either brown hydrogen or blue hydrogen, which were both fossil fuel pollutants. He asked Mr. Miftakhov to indicate whether any airports in the U.S. were currently producing green hydrogen. (Note: Mr. Miftakhov’s video feed was not functioning and he did not respond to this question). He then asked Mr. Hoback to provide advice to other airports that were thinking about developing their own microgrids. He also asked Mr. Hoback to indicate whether Pittsburgh International Airport’s microgrid was eligible for AIP funds.
  • Mr. Hoback indicated that Pittsburgh International Airport’s microgrid was not eligible for AIP funds. He then discussed the important role that partnerships played for airports in developing large projects (such as microgrids). He attributed the success of Pittsburgh International Airport’s microgrid to its public-private partnerships and testified that the Allegheny County Airport Authority did not need to spend any money in building the microgrid.
• Chairman DeFazio commented that the fact that Pittsburgh International Airport was not eligible for AIP funds demonstrated a shortcoming of the Program.

Subcommittee Ranking Member Garret Graves (R-LA):

• Ranking Member Graves asked Mr. Bunce to discuss how the FAA’s decision to certify AAM vehicles as special class aircrafts under 14 CFR Part 23 was adversely impacting the ability of GAMA members to innovate.
  • Mr. Bunce recounted how the 14 CFR Part 23 rewrite had been approved in 2016, which stemmed from the Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013. He noted how AAM vehicles had been certified as airplanes with vertical capabilities beginning in 2016. He indicated however that the FAA had subsequently reversed its certification approach to these vehicles and asserted that the FAA’s reversal was the result of a non-transparent process. He remarked that this reversal created uncertainty as to whether AAM vehicles could even be validated. He also stated that this reversal created uncertainty surrounding the FAA’s rulemaking procedures. He noted how AAM vehicles could no longer be pursued under deviations and waivers while rules were being finalized. He stated that AAM vehicle makers would now need to wait for the FAA to pass a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) before they could proceed. He highlighted how the FAA currently had a significant backlog of SFARs, which meant that the rules governing AAM vehicles would take a significant amount of time to be approved. He asserted that it would be impractical to launch these AAM vehicles within the current regulatory environment. He requested that Congress hold the FAA accountable to ensure that AAM vehicles could be launched within the near term.
• Ranking Member Graves then commended the Allegheny County Airport Authority’s microgrid project and highlighted how the microgrid was producing energy onsite for the Pittsburgh International Airport. He asked Mr. Hoback to discuss how the Allegheny County Airport Authority’s energy strategy would facilitate new technologies, such as charging stations.
  • Mr. Hoback discussed the importance of both having a long-term energy strategy and making use of existing energy resources to support the transition to a more sustainable energy future. He noted how Pittsburgh International Airport was located on top of the Marcellus Shale and indicated that the airport’s microgrid was making use of this natural gas source. He also mentioned how Allegheny County Airport Authority was pursuing EV projects.
• Ranking Member Graves asked Ms. Ardizzone to identify the current obstacles that were impeding the ability of Alaska Airlines to meet their net zero carbon emissions goals. He acknowledged however that his question period time had expired and requested that Ms. Ardizzone submit her response to his question in writing.

Subcommittee Chairman Rick Larsen (D-WA):

• Chairman Larsen noted how Mr. Plaza’s testimony had referenced the lack of essential SAF infrastructure at U.S. airports. He asked Mr. Plaza to discuss the types of SAF infrastructure that airports needed.
  • Mr. Plaza noted how SAF was currently approved for blending up to 50 percent with kerosene or petroleum jet fuel. He stated that airports faced challenges in terms of blending capacity and having the requisite distributed tank storage to allow for that blend to enter into their facilities. He also discussed how some airports (particularly West Coast airports) faced supply resiliency challenges due to weather and earthquakes and commented that these challenges impacted the ability of these airports to engage in SAF blending. He stated that airport infrastructure was therefore a key component for enabling SAFs to reach airline customers.
• Chairman Larsen noted how Alaska Airlines had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with SkyNRG Americas to increase their investment in SAFs. He asked Ms. Ardizzone to discuss this MOU and to identify any limitations that Alaska Airlines faced in pursuing the use of SAFs.
  • Ms. Ardizzone discussed how a significant amount of infrastructure associated with the use of SAFs, including commercial scale quantities of SAFs, feedstock processing and transportation facilities, facilities to convert feedstock into SAFs, facilities to blend SAFs with jet fuel, confirmation that fuel quality and environmental standards were being met, transportation capabilities for SAFs to airports, and receipt and deployment capabilities of blended SAF at airports. She commented that SAFs thus required significant infrastructure.
• Chairman Larsen asked Ms. Ardizzone to address how much SAF could be used through existing infrastructure.
  • Ms. Ardizzone first remarked that the U.S. would need all fuel suppliers (including traditional fuel suppliers) to produce SAFs in order to satisfy demand for SAFs. She noted that while existing infrastructure could support some of the distribution of SAFs, she stated that new infrastructure would be needed to distribute SAFs to smaller airports. She then remarked that SAFs would provide economic advantages (in the form of job creation), energy security, and substantial greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
• Chairman Larsen then asked Mr. Horton to explain the concept of stress testing for resilience and to address why such stress testing was important.
  • Mr. Horton discussed how aviation stakeholders often engaged in stress testing exercises to consider how an adverse event would cascade through an airport system. He stated that resilience efforts needed to focus on quick recovery and adaptiveness capabilities and commented that stress testing exercise enabled his airport to identify potential vulnerabilities.
• Chairman Larsen asked Mr. Horton to discuss the lessons that his airport’s stress tests had identified in terms of the airport’s key vulnerabilities.
  • Mr. Horton remarked that the airport industry often prioritized safety and efficiency and had not provided enough attention to recovery capabilities. He stated that resilience stress testing provided more of an emphasis on ensuring that airports preserved their critical functions post-disaster. He discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic had highlighted the importance of airports in terms of their ability to support the shipping of freight (even when passenger air traffic was down).

Rep. Kai Kahele (D-HI):

• Rep. Kahele discussed how his state of Hawaii was dependent on air travel given its isolated nature. He stated that Hawaii was working to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and was exploring various avenues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He noted now nearly one-third of all fuel currently consumed within Hawaii was used for jet fuel. He remarked that Hawaii’s move towards SAFs would help the state to reduce the impact of fossil fuels on the environment, improve the health of the state’s communities, and provide new sustainable business opportunities for the state. He then mentioned how the Biden administration had launched the SAF Grand Challenge, which aimed to reduce aviation emissions by 20 percent and increase the U.S.’s SAF production. He asked Mr. Plaza to provide recommendations for ensuring that the SAF Grand Challenge could support newer SAF developers. He commented that Hawaii was well-suited to support SAF production due to its tropical environment, growing abundance of biomass feedstock, and potential for hydrogen.
  • Mr. Plaza remarked that the Biden administration’s SAF Grand Challenge required a continuation of focus on tax credits and commented that there existed “wide scale” support for a SAF blenders tax credit. He also discussed how other programs, such as the RFS Program, would need to support the production of SAFs. He highlighted how crop-based fuels were the only fuels approved under the RFS Program, which he commented were limited in scale. He stated that policymakers would need to expand the types of fuels permitted under the RFS Program and suggested that hydrogen and renewable gas could support the production of SAFs. He remarked that Hawaii could be a “meaningful” participant within the SAF production space and commented that the state possessed the necessary resources to support SAF production. He stated however that there would need to occur tax policy changes and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulatory changes in order to support SAF production.

Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH):

• Rep. Balderson noted how Pittsburgh International Airport was the first airport in the world to have its own microgrid. He asked Mr. Hoback to discuss how Pittsburgh International Airport’s onsite natural gas and solar energy production had impacted its energy costs and supplies.
  • Mr. Hoback stated that Pittsburgh International Airport’s microgrid had saved the airport over $1 million in electric bills in its first year of operation. He indicated that these savings amounted to over 12 percent of the airport’s total operating costs. He then discussed how Pittsburgh International Airport was now completely independent from the main electrical grid and only used the main electrical grid as a backup power source. He commented that this electricity independence provided Pittsburgh International Airport with power resiliency.
• Rep. Balderson asked Mr. Hoback to address whether it was feasible for all airports to consider implementing self-sufficient power grids
  • Mr. Hoback remarked that self-sufficient power grids were feasible for airports. He acknowledged however that Pittsburgh International Airport did make use of natural gas that it produced on-property. He asserted that self-sufficient power grids would be especially beneficial for airports that have less resilient power grids.
• Rep. Balderson then mentioned how Pittsburgh International Airport had entered into an agreement with Consul Energy in 2014 related to natural gas production. He asked Mr. Hoback to discuss how this partnership had benefited Pittsburgh International Airport, as well as the airport’s surrounding community.
  • Mr. Hoback remarked that Pittsburgh International Airport’s partnership with Consul Energy had been “very important.” He recounted how Pittsburgh International Airport had lost a significant amount of passenger traffic over the previous two decades following the decision of U.S. Airways to no longer use the airport as a major hub. He stated that Pittsburgh International Airport’s reduced passenger traffic had reduced the airport’s access to capital and ability to make capital expenditures. He remarked that Pittsburgh International Airport’s partnership with Consul Energy had helped to provide the airport with an additional revenue stream, which in turn supports the airport’s various projects.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC):

• Rep. Mace remarked that the aviation sector faced challenges in terms of its ability to pursue decarbonization efforts. She asked Ms. Ardizzone to discuss how Congress could support the aviation industry in meeting its climate change goals.
  • Ms. Ardizzone first asserted that the aviation sector had made progress in recent decades in terms of achieving its climate-related goals. She specifically commended aircraft and engine manufacturers for their efforts in this area. She then expressed support for the Sustainable Skies Act, which would establish a SAF blenders tax credit. She noted how this legislation would make this tax credit available for the next ten years and stated that the legislation would make SAFs commercially viable, which would in turn exert downward pressure on SAF prices. She also expressed support for the AERO Act, which would establish a SAF infrastructure grant program. She then called on the U.S. to expand the ability of airports to participate in the VALE Program. She lastly called on the U.S. to expedite regulatory approvals of new SAF feedstocks. She asserted that the current regulatory process was “crushing” innovation, expansion, and capital investment.
• Rep. Mace then discussed how the creation of a competitive SAF market would ultimately lead SAFs to become more affordable. She asked Ms. Ardizzone to discuss how access to more affordable SAFs would enable the airline industry to address climate-related issues.
  • Ms. Ardizzone predicted that it would take several decades for there to exist enough SAFs to support the airline industry. She also stated that the airline industry would likely need to transition to an eclectic-based system over the longer term. She discussed how Alaska Airlines was currently working to change its culture and operational performance to support its climate-related goals. She testified that Alaska Airlines had added a carbon emissions goal to its performance-based pay. She indicated that this performance-based pay was not limited to the company’s leadership and was available to all of its frontline employees. She stated that the widespread availability of this performance-based pay incentivized all of the company’s employees to consider carbon emissions reduction actions. She called it important for Alaska Airlines to begin signaling to the market its interest in addressing climate-related challenges so that it could support innovative companies within the aviation space (including SkyNRG Americas and ZeroAvia).

Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA):

• Rep. Williams mentioned how she was working on a discussion draft of the AERO Act. She stated that her discussion draft would build on the U.S. Senate version of the AERO Act through investing in SAFs and funding the FAA’s CLEEN Program. She expressed interest in receiving feedback on the discussion draft. She mentioned how she personally lived near an airport and discussed how she was constantly subjected to noise pollution. She asked Ms. Bunce to discuss how a substantial investment in the CLEEN Program would benefit her constituents that were also being subjected to noise pollution from their nearby airport.
  • Mr. Bunce discussed how the aviation industry had worked on technologies to reduce aircraft noise levels for many decades and remarked that the aviation industry had made significant progress in this area. He stated that the FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) had supported these efforts through enabling continuous descent approaches for aircrafts. He acknowledged however that more precise flight routes would cause aircrafts to fly over the same spots repeatedly, which could lead people in certain locations to experience more noise pollution. He remarked that new aircraft technologies (such as electric augmentation) and vehicles were “extremely quiet.” He also stated that having aircrafts be more efficient would result in noise reductions. He then discussed how the U.S. maintained a large number of airports. He stated that the diffusion of air traffic to tertiary airports to allow people to use AAM machines would help to reduce air congestion at major airports. He commented that this reduced congestion would help to reduce the noise pollution at these airports.
• Rep. Williams then asked Mr. Bunce to address how investments in SAFs would help the U.S. to completely transition to clean energy and support the aviation industry’s growth.
  • Mr. Bunce noted how the AERO Act would help to support technological advancements. He discussed how aircraft engine companies were discovering new ways to generate more electricity. He stated that this electricity generation could support aircraft ascents, which would reduce energy consumption by aircrafts. He remarked that the technological advancements supported by the AERO Act would become even more evident over time.
• Rep. Williams then asked Mr. Horton to discuss how robust public investments in SAF infrastructure would accelerate the timeline for large airports to decarbonize.
  • Mr. Horton remarked that investments in SAFs were critical to enable airlines to decarbonize in order to meet their emissions targets under CORSIA. He also discussed how there existed many opportunities for airports to make use of SAFs. He noted how airports generated large amounts of waste and commented that some of this waste could be converted into SAFs. He expressed hope that the Biden administration’s SAF Grand Challenge would make SAFs more economical. He noted how SAFs currently cost between two and six times as much as conventional jet fuel and commented that these high costs deterred many airlines from adopting and transitioning to SAFs. He expressed DFW’s desire to support the efforts of airlines to transition to SAFs and ensure that there existed enabling infrastructure for SAFs. He stated that efforts to bring SAF development and processing closer to where the SAFs would be used would be very beneficial.

Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA):

• Rep. Steel mentioned how she was a member of the Quiet Skies Caucus and expressed interest in working to reduce noise and air pollution stemming from air travel. She asked Mr. Bunce and Ms. Ardizzone to discuss the aviation industry’s progress in terms of noise and emissions reduction technologies.
  • Mr. Bunce remarked that reducing regulatory barriers and enabling fair competition would be key for fostering the development of noise and emissions reduction technologies. He raised concerns over the recent staff turnover at the FAA and called for more FAA staff training. He mentioned how two of the FAA’s aircraft certification offices had told aircraft manufacturers that response times would increase from 30 days to 90 days. He asserted that this situation was unworkable for the aviation manufacturing industry. He also recounted how one of his organization’s companies had needed to wait six months to receive FAA approval on a new light and commented that this wait time had almost caused the company to run out of their previous light supplies. He further stated that the U.S. needed to make use of its bilateral safety agreements with other countries in order to leverage the safety competencies of foreign regulatory bodies.
• Rep. Steel asked Mr. Bunce to address how there could occur technological progress in noise and emissions reduction technologies given the FAA’s lengthy approval processes.
  • Mr. Bunce remarked that the FAA was being inundated with new AAM technologies and was experiencing challenges hiring technology specialists. He also mentioned how his organization’s member companies were facing challenges hiring engineers and technicians and stated that it was important to recruit more women into these fields. He remarked that the FAA’s resource constraints were limiting the aviation manufacturing industry’s ability to pursue new technologies. He emphasized how aviation manufacturing companies required legal review before they could proceed with their development of new technologies.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC):

• Del. Holmes Norton discussed her efforts to combat climate change within the surface transportation space. She noted how Mr. Hoback had referred to natural gas as a “transitional step” to support the aviation industry’s efforts to reduce its carbon emissions. She asked Mr. Hoback to identify what would be the next step after natural gas. She expressed concerns that the airport industry would remain reliant on natural gas for an extended period and noted how natural gas was not renewable.
  • Mr. Hoback remarked that the Allegheny County Airport Authority was taking a long-term approach to its energy strategy. He mentioned how the authority had invested “significantly” in its solar farm and testified that the authority was prepared to double this solar farm in the next year. He remarked however that developing the authority’s renewable energy capabilities would take time and stated that the use of existing resources could support the authority’s energy needs during the interim period.
• Del. Holmes Norton then mentioned how she was a co-chair of the Quiet Skies Caucus and noted how noise pollution resulting from aircrafts adversely impacted her constituents. She asked Mr. Bunce to indicate whether any of the emissions reduction innovations in the aviation industry also reduce aviation noise.
  • Mr. Bunce answered affirmatively. He discussed how new additive manufacturing capabilities for metal would enable new aircraft designs that would be lighter and that would have total flow control. He commented that these new aircrafts would become quieter as a result of these new features. He also discussed how the development of continuous descent approaches would reduce aircraft noise levels.
• Del. Holmes Norton then noted how Ms. Ardizzone’s testimony had discussed how Alaska Airlines was the first domestic airline to use software to determine the safest and most efficient flight plans. She asked Ms. Ardizzone to discuss the scalability of this software and to indicate whether all major domestic airlines could make use of this software.
  • Ms. Ardizzone remarked that all major domestic airlines could make use of this flight plan efficiency software. She stated that this software was working “extremely well” in terms of optimizing flight paths, which led to reduced aircraft emissions. She noted that other airlines were currently looking into this software and expressed support for having the aviation industry adopt the software.

Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA):

• Rep. Johnson discussed the importance of having the U.S. combat climate change and moving the U.S. toward a low-carbon economy. He stated that the IIJA would support airports in reducing their carbon emissions and in mitigating the impacts of climate change. He recounted how the U.S. had previously banned the use of lead in gasoline due to the severe health consequences associated with lead exposure. He noted however that lead continued to be used in aviation fuel for piston engine aircrafts. He commented that this use of lead constituted the U.S.’s primary source of lead emissions. He mentioned how the U.S. government and industry had launched the Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) initiative to remove lead from piston engine aircraft fuel by 2030. He called this initiative “long overdue.” He asked Mr. Bunce to explain why it had taken aviation manufacturers so long to remove lead from piston engine aircraft fuel.
  • Mr. Bunce noted how piston aircraft engines were much smaller and lighter and stated that lead was necessary in these engines for the prevention of detonation. He mentioned how the FAA and the aviation manufacturing industry had worked together since 2012 on the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative (PAFI) to look for alternatives to the use of lead in piston aviation fuels. He stated that the search for these alternatives had proven very elusive. He remarked that the EAGLE initiative sought to provide a firm deadline for removing the use of lead in piston engine aircraft fuels. He stated that the failure to meet this deadline would cause the FAA to methodically regulate away the use of lead in piston engine aircraft fuels over time. He noted how there existed 170,000 piston engine aircrafts in use and highlighted how many of these aircrafts served as first responders during natural disasters.
• Rep. Johnson interjected to ask Mr. Bunce to indicate whether GAMA was committed to ensuring the EAGLE initiative’s success.
  • Mr. Bunce answered affirmatively.
• Rep. Johnson asked Mr. Bunce to identify actions that Congress could take to ensure that the EAGLE initiative would be successful.
  • Mr. Bunce remarked that Congress could ensure that the Eagle initiative possessed adequate funding to enable the adequate testing of alternatives to lead for piston engine aircraft fuels. He mentioned how there were currently five different formulations that were in need of testing. He commented that either the FAA or independent testing centers could test these formulations.

Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV):

• Rep. Titus described the FAA’s approach to AAM technologies and unmanned systems as “hidebound.” She noted how Mr. Bunce had discussed electrical vertical takeoff and landing capabilities and had called on Congress to provide flexibility within this sector. She asked Mr. Bunce to provide suggestions to either Congress or the FAA for promoting continued innovation within these areas. She commented that Congress’s upcoming FAA reauthorization bill could provide an opportunity to make such policy changes.
  • Mr. Bunce discussed how the U.S. would need to consider battery storage for both AAM vehicles and ground EVs. He thanked the Subcommittee for its work on this topic to date. He also remarked that Congress should consider the totality of the FAA’s sustainability initiatives when considering the upcoming reauthorization bill. He also expressed hope that the FAA would propose many environmental initiatives of their own during Congress’s consideration of the FAA reauthorization bill.
• Rep. Titus also asked Mr. Bunce to discuss how grant programs to local communities could support Congressional efforts within the aviation space.
  • Mr. Bunce recommended that policymakers consider ways to enable airports to monetize electricity. He remarked that airports should be able to take the power that they generate (via solar power or other sources) and sell this power. He commented that this selling of power would significantly benefit the U.S.’s airport infrastructure.
• Rep. Titus highlighted how many airports throughout the U.S. had flat roofs and suggested that these roofs could be leveraged to generate power.
  • Mr. Bunce expressed receptiveness towards Rep. Titus’s suggestion.

Subcommittee Chairman Rick Larsen (D-WA):

• Chairman Larsen asked Mr. Miftakhov to provide his views on hydrogen fuel infrastructure at airports.
  • Mr. Miftakhov discussed how the concentration of demand for hydrogen at airports was strong enough to warrant onsite production. He expressed ZeroAvia’s hope to bring this onsite infrastructure to airports along with its partners. He testified that ZeroAvia was already working with several airports on these efforts. (Note: Mr. Miftakhov’s video feed experienced technical difficulties at this point).
• Chairman Larsen then asked Ms. Ardizzone to discuss the MOU between Alaska Airlines and Microsoft on the issue of SAFs.
  • Ms. Ardizzone noted how Microsoft was very interested in ensuring that their employees traveled in a carbon neutral fashion. She testified that Alaska Airlines had been working with Microsoft in recent years on SAF availability issues and indicated that many of Alaska Airlines’s conversations with SkyNRG Americas have involved Microsoft. She highlighted how Microsoft engaged in a significant amount of business travel out of the Pacific Northwest. She remarked that there existed significant interest in having corporations help pay for SAFs given how SAFs were currently more expensive than conventional jet fuels.
• Chairman Larsen then provided Mr. Miftakhov with an opportunity to continue on his previous response.
  • Mr. Miftakhov reiterated that ZeroAvia was already working with several airports on hydrogen infrastructure issues. He stated that onsite airport hydrogen generation would provide airports with significant economic control over their fuel supplies.
• Chairman Larsen then asked Mr. Horton and Mr. Hoback to address how their airports were approaching infrastructure decisions for different types of energy sources.
  • Mr. Horton remarked that an airport’s operations and the availability of resources within an airport’s region would largely influence the airport’s energy infrastructure decisions. He noted that DFW was seeing demand for electric infrastructure and stated that DFW was making its infrastructure decisions based on this demand. He acknowledged however that this electric infrastructure would impose demands on their local electric grid and indicated that DFW was working to address this increased demand as part of their planning efforts.
  • Mr. Hoback remarked that the Allegheny County Airport Authority was considering the capabilities of its airline partners in developing its infrastructure strategy.