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Modern commercial aircraft flying at high altitudes create longer-lived planet-warming contrails than older aircraft, a new study has found. The result means that although modern planes emit less carbon than older aircraft, they may be contributing more to climate change through contrails. Led by scientists at Imperial College London, the study highlights the immense challenges the aviation industry faces to reduce its impact on the climate.

Signals captured on underwater microphones could be key to locating airplanes such as MH370 when they crash into the ocean, Cardiff University research shows. More than 100 hours of data, captured by devices known as hydrophones after 10 historical aircraft accidents and one submarine disappearance, were analysed for the study.

Equipping self-driving cars with external displays which use coloured lights to communicate their next manoeuvre could help keep cyclists safe on the roads of the future, researchers say. With autonomous vehicles becoming more common, reducing active human involvement in driving in the process, researchers from the University of Glasgow have been working to investigate new ways to help self-driving cars speak the language of cyclists.

Dr Daniel Oviedo Hernandez (UCL Bartlett Development Planning Unit) argues that walking in African cities shouldn't be a miserable experience and urges city planners to design ways to make walking easier in collaboration with citizens in The Conversation. African cities aren't welcoming places for pedestrians.

The world's first transatlantic flight run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel is taking off today from London Heathrow, bound for New York. The Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 flight, which is taking off on 28 November 2023 from London Heathrow (LHR) to New York John F Kennedy Airport (JFK), is the first to showcase the feasibility of flying on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) over such a distance.

Engineers at The University of Manchester have built and flown the world's largest quadcopter drone. The drone, made from a cardboard-like material called foamboard, measures 6.4m (21 ft) corner to corner and weighs 24.5kg - 0.5kg less than the weight limit set by the Civil Aviation Authority.

A team of scientists have completed tests to quantify the emissions from the combustion of sustainable aviation fuels, revealing a profound reduction when compared to regular jet fuel. Researchers from the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), including those from The University of Manchester, compared standard jet fuels with several different blends of sustainable aviation fuel, including fuels supplied by Neste.

A team of UCL-led researchers has developed a new method to determine the attention levels of drivers and their readiness to respond to warning signals when using auto-pilot mode. The research, published in Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications , found that people's attention levels and how engrossed they are in on-screen activities can be detected from their eye movements.

New research has investigated the potential impact of living near Heathrow airport on cardiovascular hospitalisations and deaths. The sound of airplanes flying overhead late at night is linked to a slight increase in hospital admissions for heart-related problems the following day, a study from Imperial College London suggests.

Residents in Lambeth started driving less once their area became a low traffic neighbourhood relative to those living in surrounding areas. This is according to a new study of the London borough of Lambeth, which found that annual driving by residents living in four new LTNs introduced in 2020 decreased by 6% in the two years since their introduction compared to other control areas.

Significantly improved electric vehicle (EV) batteries could be a step closer thanks to a new study led by University of Oxford researchers, published today in Nature . Using advanced imaging techniques, this revealed mechanisms which cause lithium metal solid-state batteries (Li-SSBs) to fail. If these can be overcome, solid-state batteries using lithium metal anodes could deliver a step-change improvement in EV battery range, safety and performance, and help advance electrically powered aviation.

As Australia moves to ST, losing an hour of light at the end of the day, a study suggests there is no evidence that the time change increases road accidents. This Sunday marks the end of -Daylight Saving Time- (DST) in eastern Australia as states revert to -Standard Time- (ST) losing one hour of light at the end of the day.

Filters fitted to vehicle exhaust systems to remove particulate matter pollution have limited impact on ultrafine particles, new research shows. o 3 minute read Airborne particles from vehicle emissions are a major contributor to air pollution levels. Exhaust filters designed to mitigate this pollution have been a legal requirement in new cars since 2011, and in heavy duty vehicles since 2013.

A cheap charcoal air filter can reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO2) inside vehicles by as much as 90%, compared to levels outside the vehicle. Research presented in a report by WM Air, the West Midlands Air Quality Improvement Programme at the University of Birmingham, shows that charcoal filters, which costs around £10-£20, can effectively remove NO2 from the air within vehicle cabins.

Researchers will work with Virgin Atlantic to launch the world's first transatlantic flight powered solely by sustainable aviation fuel. The passenger flight from London to New York will be fuelled by 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), combined with carbon removal through biochar credits - a material that traps and stores carbon taken from the atmosphere - making the flight net zero.

Swarms of advanced unmanned aircraft are set to carry out aerial surveys of Antarctica - gathering crucial data on changes to the region's environment and wildlife - as part of new research with engineers from the University of Sheffield.

Researchers have developed a machine learning algorithm that could help reduce charging times and prolong battery life in electric vehicles by predicting how different driving patterns affect battery performance, improving safety and reliability.

Initial findings from a world-first study of the impact of 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on both engines of a commercial jet have provided promising early results. The ECLIF3 study, involving Airbus , Rolls-Royce , German research centre DLR , and SAF producer Neste , marks the first time 100% SAF has been measured simultaneously on both engines of a commercial passenger aircraft - an Airbus A350 aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.

New data curated by scientists at The University of Manchester has found that the main culprit for aviation emissions across the connected continent of Europe is countless short journey flights. The research, recently published in journal Transportation Research , identified that a large number of flights over distances of less than 300 miles between city pairs with existing public transport connections are a key contributor of harmful emissions.

Cities such as Lincoln and Hull and towns including Woking, Maidstone and Ashford have more road traffic collisions than would be expected given their population size, a new study by UCL researchers has found. For the study, published in PLOS ONE , researchers analysed traffic collision data along with population data from over 300 urban areas in England, Wales, France, Germany and Spain in 2018 and, for Spain only, 2015.