The Air League, in partnership with British Airways, IAG, and Sustainable Skies, proudly hosted the Innovators’ Global Challenge at this year’s Sustainable Skies World Summit. The competition celebrated the next generation of talent driving innovation in aviation and aerospace sustainability.
To widen participation, the 2025 Challenge featured two separate categories:
- A poster competition for students aged 11–15, and
- A proposal competition for those aged 16 and over in education or apprenticeships.
All poster entries were exhibited in the main hall of the Summit, allowing attendees to vote for their favourite. The winning design, highlighting hydrogen aviation fuel, was created by Till Roberts and was announced live on the main stage.
The proposal competition culminated in a dynamic Dragon’s Den-style final, where seven shortlisted individuals and teams presented bold, original ideas to tackle aviation’s journey to Net Zero by 2050. Proposals addressed a range of challenges, from propulsion and fuel generation to infrastructure and circular sustainability models.
After careful deliberation, the judging panel announced:
1st Place: Toluwalola Opaleye – for her ground-breaking proposal to convert landfill waste into sustainable aviation fuel, addressing two major environmental challenges simultaneously. Toluwalola returned on Day 2 to present her concept on the Summit’s main stage.
2nd Place: Misheli Jayawardena – for her visionary design to redefine propulsion for sustainable aviation.
3rd Place: Nikar Ansari – for her compelling concept of on-demand hydrogen generation for zero-emission flight.
The judging panel, composed of industry leaders, praised the calibre of submissions and the professionalism of the finalists:
“To say I was blown away by the contestants’ proposals was an understatement! From shopping at airports on kinetic floor tiles, to nuclear turbine generators, to growing hemp for sustainable aviation fuel – the innovation, passion and ambition were remarkable, as was the confidence all of our contestants showed in presenting their ideas to the panel of judges. The main thing I learned from our young participants is that accepting all the political, financial and societal barriers to NetZero2050 is not good enough – they’re not interested in excuses. That is something worthy of celebration alone! Congratulations to Tolu and to everyone who took part – I feel inspired and hopeful for the future.” – Deborah Scott, Co-founder and Finance Director at Artemis Aerospace,
“It was so impressive to so many outstanding entries for the Air League Innovators Global Challenge – congratulations to everyone that took part – I have high hopes for the sustainability of aviation with this high degree of talent focusing on the challenge”. – Jonathon Counsell, Group Sustainability Officer at IAG
“What impressed me most was how the entrants balanced big-picture ambition with operational realism. As a pilot, I know that proposals must not only look good on paper but also hold up in practice. Their insight into fuel systems, aircraft design, infrastructure, and policy revealed an excellent breadth of talent. Each was a worthy finalist in a competition with ambitious and timely goals. Well done all.” – Mark Mayatt-Simmons, Pilot at Virgin Atlantic, Environment & Sustainability Working Group & Emerging Technology Working Group | BALPA | Safe Landing
“I was completely blown away by all seven of the finalists who all came up with amazing ideas in addressing the challenges to meet net zero. It was so uplifting to see such innovative critical thinking and makes me excited to see what the future holds for both them and our industry.” – Paul Oxley, External Affairs Director at ADS Group
“This was a really inspiring event to be involved with. Seven amazing presentations, each completely different, well delivered and by teams and individuals who were engaging and not afraid to stand up and answer questions and promote their case. Based on that small snapshot of the future of aviation I’m really energised by the creativity and enthusiasm.” – Neil Turnbull, Head of Training and Development at Saxon Air
CEO of the Air League, Janine Hornsby concluded, “Sustainability in aviation and aerospace is not just a challenge – it’s one of the most exciting frontiers for innovation and impact. As we strive toward Net Zero by 2050, we need bold ideas and fresh thinking to transform our industry. The creativity and passion shown in this competition were truly inspiring. If this is the next generation of talent, our future is in capable hands. Now, more than ever, we must invest in young people and provide them meaningful opportunities to shape what comes next.”
The Innovators’ Global Challenge reflects The Air League’s ongoing commitment to inspiring and preparing the next generation of talent to lead the future of aviation, aerospace and space.
