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Airbus long-haul formation flying test cuts CO2 emissions
November 10th 2021
A saving of almost six tonnes of C02 during a trans-Atlantic test flight suggests airlines can cut fuel consumption by as much as 5% if they mimic migrating birds and fly in formation. Read More » On Tuesday, Airbus performed the first long-haul demonstration of its formation flying technique, dubbed fello’fly, inspired by the distinctive V formation of large flying birds. The trip between between its French home of Toulouse and Canada's Montreal-Trudeau International Airport involved two A350s and was hailed as a success after cutting fuel consumption and demonstrating savings could be achieved without compromising safety. Using a principle seen in migrating birds, the following aircraft used specially developed flight control systems to stay in the wake updraft of the proceeding A350. This allowed it to reduce engine thrust and cut fuel consumption. Pilots from SAS Scandinavian Airlines and Frenchbee were on board to witness the flight, which was made possible through collaboration between Airbus and various air traffic management organizations and the support of French civil aviation authority, DGAC. “This demonstration flight is a concrete example of our commitment to making our decarbonization roadmap a reality,'' said Airbus chief technical officer, Sabine Klauke. "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 airline and air traffic partners plus regulators. Airbus is hoping to have the technique deployed for passenger aircraft around the middle of the decade.”
