by Elsie Clark | Dec 16, 2025 | Connectivity, Innovation
Searidge Technologies has successfully implemented a digital control tower at Vigo Airport, Spain.
The first of its kind in the country, the tower features a high-resolution, 360-degree real-time visual display of traffic at the airport. Developed in partnership with Skyway, the system has been approved by the aviation authorities and is now in operation.
The display uses a feed of sensors and cameras to enhance traffic controllers’ situational awareness, ultimately improving the safety and efficiency of the airport. Searidge Technologies CEO Moodie Cheikh said:
We’re proud to support Aena [Spain’s airport operator] in achieving this important milestone.
The operational launch at Vigo marks a first for Spain and underscores Europe’s leadership in digital tower innovation. We look forward to continuing our collaboration as Aena advances its strategy to digitise and future-proof airport operations across the country.
A phased introduction will ensure safety standards are upheld during the transition to the digital system. Operations will first take place during times of low air traffic with standard control towers as a backup. The new system puts Vigo in line with modern international airports including Dubai International, London Heathrow, and Singapore Changi. Searidge’s digital tower has also been in operation at Hamad International Airport in Saudi Arabia, the first large-scale system of its kind approved by regulators in the Middle East
The news at Vigo Airport comes after IATA revealed that air traffic control delays in Europe have more than doubled since 2015.
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by Elsie Clark | Dec 12, 2025 | Flight Ops IT, Innovation
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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by Elsie Clark | Dec 10, 2025 | Sustainability
IATA has published its latest sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production figures and issued a stark warning as the industry looks set to miss key targets.
SAF production has doubled from 2024, reaching 1.9 million tonnes (Mt) by the end of 2025, according to IATA. However, these numbers full short of earlier forecasts, and in 2026 the production rate is projected to slow and reach only 2.4Mt.
IATA lists policies in Europe, including the EU’s ReFuelEU Aviation and UK SAF mandates, as key hindrances. They say these schemes have pushed high SAF costs onto airlines and fail to nurture a stable supply chain. In a strongly-worded statement, Director General Willie Walsh emphasised the urgency of change:
SAF production growth fell short of expectations as poorly designed mandates stalled momentum in the fledgling SAF industry. If the goal of SAF mandates was to slow progress and increase prices, policymakers knocked it out of the park. But if the objective is to increase SAF production to further the decarbonisation of aviation, then they need to learn from failure and work with the airline industry to design incentives that will work.
Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Chief Economist, said it would be ‘outrageous’ if regulators were to take the same approach with forthcoming e-SAF mandates. e-SAF already suffers from a much-higher cost base than conventional SAF due to the costs of renewable energy supplies.
Regardless, IATA say the failures of SAF so far have already complicated sustainability targets. Walsh adds:
Regrettably, many airlines that have committed to use 10% SAF by 2030 will be forced to reevaluate these commitments. SAF is not being produced in sufficient amounts to enable these airlines to achieve their ambition. These commitments were made in good faith but simply cannot be delivered.
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by Elsie Clark | Dec 10, 2025 | Avionics, Innovation
Reliable Robotics has signed a contract with NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) to test its Cessna 208B Caravan at airports. Data collected from the flights will help inform the FAA and Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) as they set regulations for uncrewed aircraft systems.
Providing the tech for continuous autopilot engagement through all phases of flight, including auto-taxi, auto-takeoff and auto-landing, Reliable Robotics’ mission is to make flight safer. Designed for cargo operations, the company will use the new agreement with NASA to test interactions with air traffic control and potential contingency scenarios. There will be no pilot onboard during the final flight demonstration.
Robert Rose, CEO and co-founder, Reliable Robotics, said:
This testing campaign comes at a unique moment in time, when safety-enhancing aircraft autonomy is rapidly nearing FAA certification and entry into service for regional air cargo and military use cases. Efforts like this are how we continue to advance the necessary public policy ecosystem. We deeply value the continued partnership with NASA to conduct testing that will advance industry-wide efforts to expand remotely piloted aircraft operations at airports.
After the tests, data will be passed on to NASA, FAA, and SDOs to develop Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) and Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards (MASPS) for UAS. Demonstrating this technology in real-world environments is essential for proving — and enhancing — their safety in advance of commercial launch.
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by Elsie Clark | Dec 9, 2025 | Connectivity
Research from IATA has found that air traffic control (ATC) delays in Europe have doubled over the past decade.
This increase has far outpaced the rate of traffic growth (6.7%), and affected 1.1 billion passengers. IATA estimates the delays have collectively cost the industry €16.1 billion since 2015. Delays due to weather and strikes were not covered in the analysis, which found staff shortages to be overwhelmingly responsible for ATC’s poor performance.
Staff capacity-related disruptions have increased by 179.7% and staffing-related delays by 201.7% since 2015. IATA Director-General Willie Walsh commented:
We’re now seeing the consequences of Europe’s failure to get a grip on air traffic control. A small, expected improvement in 2025 from a very bad 2024 does not change the deterioration that we have seen over the last decade. Airlines and travellers were promised a Single European Sky that would cut delays and reduce fuel burn through more efficient navigation and routes. Instead, passengers have seen delays more than double.
10 of the 39 European Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP) were responsible for 87% of all delays. France (DSNA) and Germany (DFS) alone were responsible for more than 50% of delays. These statistics demonstrate how a handful of countries are having a disproportionately negative impact on the continent’s ATC performance.
Walsh added:
While Eurocrats debate ways to increase the burden of EU261 passenger compensation, the root cause of much of the delay suffered by travellers—air traffic control—escapes without action or censure. And Europe’s connectivity and competitiveness suffer from schedules that must accommodate ATC inefficiency. It is completely unacceptable.
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