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Summary
- The government has jointly announced an investment of £84.6 million in three aerospace projects in Bristol, Cranfield, and Bedford.
- The commissioned projects include GKN Aerospace-led project H2GEAR, ZeroAvia’s HyFlyer II, and Blue Bear Systems Research-led InCEPTion.
The multimillion-pound investment in making the UK aviation sector greener is likely to ascertain nearly 5,000 new jobs in the industry, the UK government said on Thursday. Due to the unavoidable circumstances developed due to the coronavirus pandemic, a considerable section of aviation has been forced to limit the operations according to the modus operandi prescribed by the government and aviation regulator to contain the infection.
(Source - © Kalkine Group 2021)
The aerospace companies have taken the benefit from the government-aided programmes, including the furlough scheme, CBILs and the bounce back loans during the still-continuing period of pandemic. An amount almost equivalent to £11 billion has been made available through various government-run measures for the aviation customers and the aerospace sector through the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility, loan guarantees, grants for R&D, and the support for exporters.
Boost to aviation: Key highlights
- The government’s investment of £84.6 million in three aerospace projects in Bristol, Cranfield and Bedford announced by Business Minister Paul Scully on Thursday, 28 January, is likely to assist the sector in a cumulative revival improving the prospects of jobs.
- The research and development projects are steered by a total investment of £84.6 million, including a proportionately half the quantum from the government through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme and rest from the industry.
- The investment announcement is a part of a wider objective of £3.9 billion government-industry investment for aerospace R&D projects from 2013 to 2026.
- All the three recently commissioned projects are being incorporated with an intention to power zero-emission flights.
- Further developing the possibilities for usage of alternative energy sources, including hydrogen, thereby reducing industry’s core dependence on fossil fuels.
- The in-house expertise and innovation in green technology with the potential target for zero-emissions air travel by 2023 will be used for taxi-like aircraft models, effectively reducing the carbon emissions.
- Approximately, the sector stands to generate 4,750 jobs in engineering and manufacturing with advancement in the commissioned projects, alongside burgeoning the likelihood of shorter-distance flights.
- This could enable the usage of skies for services like local taxis allowing passengers to cover shorter distances, thereby reducing the congestion and burden on road travel.
- With the apparent framework, the passengers would be able travel abroad in a greener way as the commissioned projects are likely to pave a substantial stepstone towards the target of achieving zero-emission flights.
- The rapidly evolving and innovative aerospace technology could develop a fair chance of zero-emissions flight by the end of 2023.
- The commissioned projects include GKN Aerospace-led project H2GEAR, ZeroAvia’s HyFlyer II and Blue Bear Systems Research-led InCEPTion.
- The citizens may be able to hail taxis from the sky rather than on the streets with these trailblazing projects broadening the horizons for the usage of green energy in air travel in future, Minister Paul Scully said.
- Besides, these projects will allow the industry to build back greener and better from the pandemic-induced hardships, Scully added.
