Agenda for the 2025 Sustainable Skies Summit announced

As the aviation industry moves toward net-zero emissions, the Global Sustainable Skies Summit 2025, taking place May 14-15, will feature groundbreaking discussions on the most pressing challenges and innovations shaping the future of sustainable air travel.

This year's agenda promises a high-profile lineup of speakers and sessions addressing crucial industry trends, such as airport and airline strategies, scaling SAF production and infrastructure, advancing hydrogen viability, and integrating carbon removal and next-generation propulsion systems.

Speakers at the 2025 summit include:

Jonathan Counsell, Group Chief Sustainability Officer, IAG
Jan Toshka, CEO of Zaffra
Gary Elliott, CEO of Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI)
Simon Newitt, President and Chief Commercial Officer, Heart Aerospace
Cesar Pereira, Chief Sustainability Officer, Embraer
Sunaina Aytan, Senior Cybersecurity Consultant, Airbus Protect
Anna Stukas, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, Carbon Engineering
Shashank Nigam, CEO and Founder, SimpliFlying
Alexandre De Joybert, Chief Sustainability Officer, ACI Europe
Matt Gorman, Director of Carbon Strategy, Heathrow Airport
Meiltje de Groot, CEO, Groningen Airport Eelde
Denise Pronk, Chief Sustainability Officer, Royal Schiphol Group
Paul Touw, CEO, Otto Aviation
Dirk Singer, Chief Sustainability Officer, SimpliFlying
Alan Newby, Director, Aerospace Technology and Future Programmes, Rolls-Royce
Noura Rouissi, First Secretary, Transport and Fisheries Delegation from the EU to the European Commission of the United Kingdom
Diana Birkett Rakow, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Sustainability, Alaska Airlines
Amy Ruddock, Senior Vice President, Sustainable Aviation and Corporate Development, Willis Lease Finance Corporation
Prof. Steven Barrett, Regius Professor of Engineering, University of Cambridge
Christoph Todt, Director of Environmental Sustainability, TUI
Harry Armstrong, Chief Sustainability Officer, UK CAA
Haldane Dodd, Chief Executive, Air Transport Action Group
Russ Dunn, Chair, Aviation Hydrogen Alliance
Helen Leadbetter, Zero Emissions Aviation Operations and Sustainable Aviation Hydrogen and Innovation, UK CAA
Alex Philpot, Deputy Director, Aviation Decarbonisation, Department for Transport
Tim Johnson, Director, Aviation Environment Federation

With sustainability a top priority for airlines, manufacturers, and airport operators, this year's key panels will once again offer high-level discussions on how aviation executives are navigating an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape, evolving regulations, and shifting consumer expectations. This year's agenda includes an Airline and Airport Briefing, where key players in their sectors will discuss the state of their industry and the challenges they face, from sustainable policies to the implementation of new technologies. Additionally, the Senior Executive Panel, which generated international headlines in 2024, will bring together pioneers who will analyze solutions to these challenges, including maximizing flight efficiency, adapting aircraft and technologies, and how they plan to invest in carbon reduction in the future.

One of the most anticipated sessions, the panel "Sustainable Aviation Fuels: Paths to Progress and Barriers to Advancement," will bring together key figures from airlines, fuel producers, and regulatory bodies on the first day to address the urgent need for large-scale deployment of SAF fuels. With governments setting ambitious emissions targets and airlines committing to using cleaner fuel alternatives, the discussion will focus on reducing costs, increasing production capacity, and securing regulatory support for SAF fuels.

The UK government will present its renewed sustainability strategy at the keynote address "Jet Zero Reimagined: The UK's Renewed Drive for Sustainable Aviation." As the country positions itself as a leader in green aviation, this session is expected to highlight policy updates, funding initiatives, and international collaborations aimed at dramatically reducing aviation emissions.

Aviation's transition to net-zero emissions does not depend solely on SAF, and next-generation aeronautical technologies will play a crucial role. The summit will feature expert perspectives on hydrogen propulsion, battery-electric aircraft, and hybrid innovations. Industry leaders will discuss practical applications, investment challenges, and timelines for these technologies to become commercially viable.

New for 2025, the summit will offer interactive workshops for industry professionals to engage in the development of practical solutions to accelerate Net Zero across the industry—from SAF infrastructure and airport carbon accreditations to non-CO2 emissions—and take the next step in their strategies. Additionally, a Careers Fair will be held during the event, welcoming students, apprentices, and graduates on the afternoon of the second day, along with a plenary session dedicated to the Workforce of the Future.

With sustainability at the heart of aviation's future, the Sustainable Skies Global Summit 2025 offers a platform for collaboration, innovation, and concrete action. Industry stakeholders, policymakers, and sustainability advocates are expected to gather for two days at the award-winning Farnborough International Conference and Exhibition Centre in the United Kingdom to discuss crucial topics that will shape the next decade of aviation transformation.

Source: Farnborough International.