Round the world in 80 weeks

Two Swiss pioneers are nearing the end of a round the world flight – without touching a drop of petrol.
Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg landed in Egypt after crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Seville in just over 48 hours in their Solar Impulse 2 – the penultimate leg of the first encirclement of the globe powered only by the sun.
Now all they need to do is reach Abu Dhabi, where it all began back in March 2015.
With a cruising speed of around 45-50mph and a cargo payload limited to Piccard and Borschberg’s sandwiches, the Solar Impulse’s technology clearly has some way to go before it can become a commercial reality for the world’s airlines.
But as the two intrepid pioneers point out, this is more about “exploring new ways to have a better quality of life on Earth.”
The aim of Solar Impulse’s clean technology is to “change individual habits, societies and markets” – not only in the air, but on the ground too. 

Share this story

Related Topics

Latest off the record news

Lufthansa Cargo donates to Kenyan aid projects

Lufthansa Cargo has donated €10,481 to Cargo Human Care (CHC) in support of the organisation’s aid projects in Kenya. An…

Read More

Share this story

Air Cargo News Covid-19 webinar now available on-demand

Air Cargo News held its first webinar – Coronavirus: the outlook for air cargo – on April 15. Speakers included…

Read More

Share this story

Lufthansa Cargo and ANA Cargo deliver relief supplies to Australia

Lufthansa Cargo and ANA Cargo recently collaborated to deliver two tonnes of relief supplies to Australia. Lufthansa transported the supplies…

Read More

Share this story

Air Cargo News

Air Cargo News
Established in 1983, Air Cargo News is the leading source of news, information, interviews, analyses and reports to the global airfreight industry. Our leading portfolio includes print, digital and events that give businesses in the airfreight industry the ability to connect with decision-makers in this sector.