European aerospace giant Airbus, in collaboration with Delta, Air France and Virgin Atlantic, has successfully completed a critical phase of flight testing for its innovative ‘fello’fly’ project. This uses wake energy retrieval (WER) to significantly cut fuel burn on long-haul routes.
The initiative, which draws direct inspiration from the ‘V’ formation adopted by migrating geese, involves a trailing aircraft positioning itself within the optimal updraft created by the lead jet. This highly precise manoeuvre reduces the trailing aircraft’s drag, resulting in a substantial increase in fuel efficiency for long-haul operations. Airbus and their partners worked under the SESAR Joint Undertaking GEESE project.
An Airbus spokesperson noted:
While the actual wake energy retrieval flights have not been tested yet on commercial flights, the successful completion of the rendezvous process is a crucial first step toward future efficiency gains.
Airbus has stated the method could deliver fuel savings of up to 5% on Transatlantic voyages. Specific flight demonstrators showed a resulting reduction in CO2 emissions of six tonnes per paired operation. Other collaborators included AirNav Ireland, DSNA, EUROCONTROL Network Manager, French bee, and NATS. Airbus described EUROCONTROL’s Innovation hub interface as ‘key’ to proving the concept’s safety in real-world conditions.
The project addresses a critical challenge for the future of commercial aviation, particularly for wide-body routes. For such aircraft flying over oceans, batteries do not represent a viable sustainability solution.
While the technical solution is now proven, the project’s next steps will focus on operational integration. This includes securing the necessary regulatory changes and working with Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) to adapt procedures, ensuring that aircraft can safely fly in the close 1.5-nautical-mile proximity required for WER.
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