Scotland’s first regional sustainable aviation conference, “Taking Flight”, took place in Inverness in May 2024

The event, organised and hosted by SATE, discussed the readiness of new forms of sustainable aviation and the pathway to their commercial and social service. Taking Flight also reflected on the speed of technology development the region has supported. SATE is part funded by the UKRI Future Flight Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK and ESRC.

The conference focused on the key next steps; The regulation, certification, industrialisation, finance and commercial contracting, to bring a final product to market successfully.

The challenge is to lift the perception of aviation as a negative environmental impact. With the ambition of making the Highlands and Islands the world’s first net zero aviation space by 2040, the conference raised the vision of improved regional connectivity for the region – and with a significantly lower carbon footprint than the current system.

Watch our conference video below.