Sustainability has become a central topic in aviation, but are airlines prepared for this conversation?

Elizabeth Maclean and Mike Evans are the co-founders of Herdwick Communications, a consultancy firm that advises airlines all over the world.

With Elizabeth and Mike we speak about the reputation crisis and public relations storm that the aviation industry is facing in the face of climate change and how airlines should be communicating about sustainability.

What can airlines say when they are being accused of wrecking the climate? How can airlines avoid greenwashing and end up being sued because of overpromising or misrepresenting their sustainability initiatives? Why so many airlines have opted for greenhushing instead?

Elizabeth and Mike share their views on the matter and the basics of the model they have developed to help airlines deal with these increasingly pressing matters.

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Landor is, possibly, the creative agency that has designed the most iconic brands in aviation.

British Airways, Alitalia, Singapore Airlines and Etihad are just a few of the big names of the airline industry that have entrusted their public identity to Landor’s creative minds.

On this episode of the podcast we speak with Ryan Frost, Executive Creative Director at Landor, about the attributes of a great airline brand and we dissect what and how three great British airlines that couldn’t be more different between them - British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and easyJet - have chosen to communicate those attributes.

We also take a look at some iconic projects completed by Landor in the past, not just the world-famous BA “Landor livery”, which was for many years almost like an unofficial national symbol of Britain, but also others that have defined an era in airline branding, such as Alitalia’s, its more modern reincarnation in ITA Airways and Etihad Airways.

How often does an airline need to change its livery? How airline brands have adapted to the changing nature of the air travel business over the last few decades?

We will talk about these and some other aspects of airline brand design on today’s episode of the podcast!

Our guest in this episode is Billy Thalheimer, founder and CEO of REGENT, a startup based in Rhode Island developing a wing-in-ground vehicle that will make it possible to fly fast and sustainably between coastal cities before the end of this decade.

A wing-in-ground vehicle (WiG) is a type of craft that flies just a few meters above the surface of water making use of a draft-reducing aerodynamical effect.

As a matter of fact, wing-in-ground vehicles are not new, the Soviets had a go at them during the Cold War, and some entrepreneurs have tried to make them work in the past. What’s new with REGENT’s project, though, is that they are using some novel technologies, such as retractable foils to overcome some of the traditional limitations of this type of craft, such as their limited maneuvrability and sensitivity to high waves. What’s more, REGENT is designing its craft to be electrically powered, which means they will also allow for sustainable travel.

The Seaglider, such is the name of the ground-in-wing vehicle REGENT is working on, will fly over water at 180 mph, way, way faster than traditional ferries. So, it is not surprising that ferry operators are among the first to place orders for the Seaglider.

Airlines have also shown interest in the Seagliders. Some of them, like Japan Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, have even invested in the project, adding their names to a list of A-class investors that includes the likes of Mark Cuban, Peter Thiel and aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin.

Last but not least, the Seaglider has also caught the eye of the US Marine Corps at a time when it is reviewing its strategy for an Indo-Pacific area of operations that is simmering with geopolitical tensions.

But how long will we have to wait to see REGENT’s Seagliders in action? How is the experience of traveling in a Seaglider going to be like?

No one better to answer all these questions than person behind the REGENT Craft project! Tune in to listen to Billy Thalheimer share his insights about this new and revolutionary mode of transportation!