Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Alaska Airlines has formed an investment arm to advance emerging technologies aimed at accelerating the airline’s progress toward its goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions, the Seattle-based carrier said Monday. Called Alaska Star Ventures, the company has partnered with UP.Partners, an early-stage investor in advanced air mobility ventures.

 


“The future of aviation is a collaborative effort between founders, funders, builders, and key stakeholders—like Alaska Airlines,” said Cyrus Sigari, UP.Partners’ co-founder and managing partner. “With transportation as the underlying fabric of society, selective and values-driven investments that move the industry toward sustainable aviation are key. We’re proud to partner with such a mission-aligned group that is launching today: Alaska Star Ventures.”

 


Alaska Airlines in April announced a commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 with a five-part strategy to decarbonize. Alaska Airlines said its deployment of Flyways—artificial intelligence and machine-learning software that supports its dispatchers’ route optimization efforts—inspired the pursuit of additional technologies to accelerate the company’s path to net zero.

 


The company’s efforts toward advancing environmental sustainability include onboard recycling, eliminating plastic straws and stir sticks, enabling touchless and paperless guest experiences through technology, advancing the use of sustainable aviation fuels, and partnering with the Boeing ecoDemonstrator program to evaluate and test sustainability-focused technology.

 


“We’re proud of our ambitious targets and our legacy of being pioneers, but we also know we can’t fundamentally decarbonize and achieve net-zero carbon emissions alone,” said Diana Birkett Rakow, Alaska Airlines' vice president of public affairs and sustainability. “That’s why we’re focused on discovering, partnering with, and enabling technologies that will allow us to take real and meaningful steps on our five-part path to net-zero now and in the years ahead. We’re thrilled to partner with UP.Partners on our first project and are fortunate to have aviation veteran Pasha Saleh leading corporate development to successfully launch and grow this initiative.”

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

Alaska Airlines Teams with UP.Partners to Meet Net Zero Goal

A new company founded by Alaska Airlines, called Alaska Star Ventures, aims to advance emerging technologies geared toward neutralizing carbon emissions.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

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News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

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