Interview with Adrien Chabot, Head of Innovation and Amelia Green

What is your background? Why are you joining Amelia today?

Passionate about aviation, I quickly turned to the aeronautical sector at the beginning of my career. After an unforgettable experience within the AAE and my ISAE-ENSMA engineering degree, I joined Safran Aircraft Engines. I successively held positions in the technical, commercial and strategic departments. Over the years, I have seen how the environmental aspect has become an essential component in the development strategy of the aviation sector. 

After having contributed to the launch and implementation of several major initiatives within this large industrial group, I decided to put my skills and experience to good use in the service of the airlines, key cogs in this sector. I was quickly won over by the Amelia group: agile through the diversity of its businesses and innovative through its ability to anticipate with the launch of Amelia Green for example. I was convinced that this was the place to be.

Adrien Chabot, Head of Innovation & Amelia Green

What are the first actions carried out by Amelia Green?

Our initial actions are reflected in strong international commitments and the establishment of pioneering partnerships.
Since the launch of Amelia Green, the Group has become a founding member of AZEA (Alliance for Zero-Emission Aviation) and Target True Zero (World Economic Forum initiative).
In November 2022, Amelia will also join IATA (International Air Transport Association). Alongside the largest airlines, the Group is taking part in the “fly net zero” commitment, which aims to achieve net zero carbon by 2050.

At the same time, Amelia has formed partnerships with Universal Hydrogen and Thales. The first aims to provide flights with hydrogen conversion kits. By committing to the purchase of three kits, Amelia will become the first company to fly on hydrogen on an ATR72-UH2.
The second partnership focuses on optimizing our operations using the Flight Footprint tool developed by Thales. The study of our data allows us to quantify our emissions and ultimately reduce our impact on global warming.
These commitments and partnerships make Amelia one of the most advanced regional airlines in Europe in the energy transition.

What are the challenges and ambitions of Amelia Green and the Group?

At Amelia, our ambition is to become the pioneer of green regional aviation in France, and in Europe. Amelia Green embodies this ambition. To achieve it, many challenges await us.
The multiplicity of our activities requires us to have a global strategy. Each activity and each device requires a tailor-made approach. While hydrogen is a solution that is particularly well suited to our ATRs, its application to the rest of our fleet could be delayed. It is therefore essential to consider all solutions, such as sustainable fuels (SAF), optimizing our operations and offsetting our CO2 emissions. This will catalyze the reduction of our emissions.
Of course, we are not forgetting to carry out additional work internally, which we have been doing for several years. For example, we are seeking to reduce the energy consumption of our sites, to change the way our employees travel and to instill good daily practices.
All our progress will be shared as we go along. We want to provide concrete elements to build the aviation of tomorrow.

How can we reconcile the scale of the transformations to be undertaken with the deadline of carbon neutrality targeted for 2050?

Our goal is to implement a set of actions in line with the Paris Agreements and the 2050 carbon neutrality objectives. These transformations will take place in stages and a sustained effort will be required to ensure that our goals are met.

We are putting in place the mobilization of the necessary resources. This project will be resolutely collaborative. By strengthening our teams, pooling the skills of all stakeholders and raising awareness among the general public, we hope to bring together as many people as possible to rapidly implement the transformations.

Beyond the cohesion on the subject, the reflections must now give way to actions. To meet the 2050 deadline, our teams will follow a credible, intelligible but no less ambitious roadmap.