The European manufacturer, in partnership with other companies and organizations, has taken a new step towards the decarbonization of the industry by testing long-haul formation flights. The tests were conducted with two A350 aircraft, flying three kilometers apart, from Toulouse, France, to Montreal, Canada.
By applying this strategy, more than six tons of CO2 emissions were saved for the operations, which translates into a reduction of up to 5% in fuel consumption on long-haul flights.
This flight is the result of the work that Airbus has been carrying out through the fello’fly demonstration project, which is part of the Airbus UpNext platform and is focused on biomimicry, in other words, innovation based on the observation of some phenomenon that occurs in nature and that can be extrapolated to the industry.
As reported by the company, the demonstration was made possible «thanks to flight control systems developed by Airbus that position the tracer aircraft safely in the trail of the leading aircraft’s ascending current, allowing it to reduce engine throttle and reduce fuel consumption. A similar principle can be observed with large migratory birds, such as geese, which fly together in a distinct V-shaped formation».
Airbus said in a press release that the next step after this successful test is to get the support of the authorities to have the new operating concept certified and, from there, to encourage airlines to use it to reduce fuel consumption and the carbon footprint of their operations.
Sabine Klauke, Airbus CTO, said that this experience «is a tangible example of our commitment to making our decarbonization pathway a reality. At the same time, she said, it also speaks to how collaboration across the industry will be key to making this happen. We have received a strong level of support for this project from our airlines and air traffic partners, in addition to regulators. The opportunity to implement this for passenger aircraft in the middle of this decade is very promising».
The flight test was supported and monitored by air traffic management agencies and navigation service providers on both sides of the Atlantic. Moreover, the French National Directorate of Civil Aviation accompanied Airbus in the process to demonstrate that the concept does not compromise the safety of the operation.
Upon arrival at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, the fello’fly flight was welcomed by representatives of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Salvatore Sciacchitano, Chairman of the ICAO Council, said that the demonstration represents «an inspiring example of the current level of commitment to reducing aviation emissions». For his part, ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar welcomed «the incredible diversity of innovations in air transport that are now being undertaken to meet the industry’s objectives and ensure that flights are increasingly sustainable.
When we talk about initiatives to decarbonize the industry we find a lot of developments underway, some in the short term, some in the medium to long term. The proposal that Airbus is testing is undoubtedly a great tool to make operations become more efficient by the middle of this decade, while the projects that seek zero-emission flights reach maturity.
