Etihad Airways has efficiently carried out the world’s most intensive sustainable flight testing program, working 42 flights over 5 days. These flight checks had been referred to as EcoFlights and had been carried out commemorating Earth Day 2022. They included 22 contrail prevention flights over three days.
Testing for the longer term
All through the 5 days, the 42 EcoFlights labored on testing operational efficiencies, know-how, and procedures that can cut back carbon emissions sooner or later, akin to:
- Contrails Prevention: Working with UK-based SATAVIA, Etihad averted flying in sure atmospheric situations to keep away from colder temperatures, which helps to scale back non-carbon emissions.
- Optimized Flight Paths: By means of coordination with ANSPs, Etihad labored to optimize flight paths, together with direct routing, and optimized descent.
- Lowered Flaps for Touchdown: Etihad examined utilizing diminished flaps when touchdown on sufficiently lengthy runways to reduce drag, gas consumption, and noise disturbance.
- Lowered Engine Taxi: By shutting down one plane engine when it lands, Etihad diminished carbon emission manufacturing on the bottom by 20% to 40%, as a lot of the floor motion utilized energy from the opposite engine.
Moreover, Etihad additionally switched the cabin lights off for one minute throughout every flight as a symbolic act for Earth Day and to set the benchmark that its EcoFlight was a primary for the worldwide aviation trade. Moreover commemorating Earth Day, the Ecoflights had been additionally a part of Etihad’s efforts to constantly elevate trade consciousness, as inspired by Tony Douglas, Group Chief Govt Officer, Etihad Aviation Group:
“Among the applied sciences and operational efficiencies we have now examined will be applied in the present day, and we’re effectively within the means of placing these improvements into customary operational procedures, which we hope to see replicated throughout the trade, whereas some applied sciences are nonetheless of their infancy and we’ll proceed to work with our companions to check and develop these for future use. Nevertheless, there are a variety of impactful options that are able to go, however require trade and regulatory response to develop into sensible, that the trade wants to boost to the problem for.”
Etihad acknowledges that each Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and Decrease Carbon Aviation Gasoline (LCAF) are wanted for aviation’s vitality transition. Picture: Etihad Airways
The outcomes and knowledge from Etihad’s EcoFlights and Contrail flight testing program can be formulated and analyzed over the approaching weeks. As soon as accomplished, the findings can be added to the data base that Etihad has constructed to help the aviation trade on its journey to decarbonization.
Specializing in sustainability
The EcoFlights and Contrails program was flown on the airline’s latest plane, the Sustainable50 Airbus A350-1000, as a part of the Sustainable50 program. Coincidentally, the plane turned the first-ever Airbus A350 worldwide to function an EcoFlight, as celebrated by Douglas:
“Working EcoFlights on the A350-1000 is a giant step ahead for example of the world’s two largest plane manufactures working in tandem for the mutual goal of aviation decarbonization by means of Etihad’s complete Sustainable50 and Greenliner sustainability program.”
The ” Greenliner ” supply flight explored three totally different effectivity initiatives to look at their impression on gas consumption. Picture: Etihad Airways
Moreover the Sustainable50 program, Etihad additionally has the Greenliner, a Boeing 787 additionally centered on advancing sustainability efforts. Each applications are along with Airbus, Boeing, GE, and Rolls-Royce. By means of these applications, Etihad can additional its ongoing analysis and testing initiatives. The outcomes allow the airline to check new sustainability initiatives on its scheduled Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 operations earlier than passing them on to the worldwide airline neighborhood.
The inexperienced line
Though the Abu Dhabi-based service is probably not the world’s greenest airline, the trouble to persistently attempt 12 months on 12 months is outstanding. Etihad has undoubtedly gone above and past, from working plastic-free flights and lowering as a lot in-flight waste as attainable to numerous strategies of lowering gas consumption and carbon emissions.
The greener efforts are paying off, because the Etihad Aviation Group diminished its carbon footprint from practically 9.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2018 to simply over 4.3 million tonnes in 2021. Nevertheless, the airline famous that a few of this 56% drop is also attributed to diminished scheduled operations because of the pandemic. Nonetheless, the numbers are getting greener.