By Ms. Ashwini MAHAKALKAR & Mr. Adithya KAMBALAGADDE SHET
Dr. Sandra Bour Schaeffer, Airbus UpNext Chief Executive Officer speaking on “Airbus UpNext: Agility at the heart of innovation to Protecting Businesses”
On 7th October 2022, we students from TBS- Education, Toulouse had the opportunity to meet the CEO (Airbus UpNext), Dr. Sandra Bour Schaeffer.
Dr. Sandra Bour Schaeffer commenced the session by quoting, “There exists a common misbelief by the Aerospace community that “Net Zero” by 2050 is not ambitious enough, but also not the exact ways to reach this goal which is possible through credible ways, and it is not possible through one person
but as a collective ecosystem”.
She threw a thought boggling and provocative question: How are we going to achieve Zero emission by 2050?
She gives an exemplary list of definitive ways of achieving it:
1. Continuous improvement of current technology
2. Through her experience in Single Aisle NEO aircraft certification, she believes that it is not simple to design the aircraft from basis and put suitable engines. They really needed to work hard to reduce the fuel consumption by 20% and thereby reducing the carbon footprint.
Hence, she emphasizes on improving the current technology in that trajectory wherein A321XLR and A350 are in the same path towards reducing carbon emissions thereby affirming the fact that 80% is still on current generation. Thus, paving way for renewal of the fleet which can
gain further 20% fuel reduction.
3. Air traffic Management can effectively manage the fleet operations by which a further 10% decrease in the fuel consumption can be achieved. Overall, by regulating the fleet operations and new engine options, a total of 30% reduction in fuel consumption is possible.
4. She was amazed to know that quite a few people were aware of Fello’fly
5. She continues to talk more about an exciting new concept from Airbus UpNext which is a technology demonstrator called Fello’fly. The idea is to use the vortex of the preceding aircraft in a specific formation such that the trailing aircraft utilizes this vortex in form of energy and thus increasing the fuel efficiency by 5%. She also quoted that the Airbus UpNext is talking
with pilots to make these feet possible as this is currently a technology demonstrator. She also said that flights which are cruising over Atlantic and in the same trajectory can utilize this specific formation without use of any special hardware and attachment to the aircraft but just a software update to the Autopilot. The Autopilot will sense a specific pattern for effectively
utilizing the vortex for reducing the fuel consumption and improving the fuel efficiency. She rightly quoted that this Fello’fly got its inspiration from bird flying formation, which is really inspiring, and I would add that nature has its own way of amazing us and helping us propel forward in achieving the aforementioned.
6. She quoted that Airbus UpNext is in continuous talks with Air Traffic Management to find a way to make this possible as it involves complex flight operations as there going to be more than one pilot who will be communicated.
7. Adding to the aircraft emission, she also added that most of the airbus fleet is flying with 50% of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and she said Airbus is trying to achieve 100% sustainable aviation fuel in future.
8. It is rather challenging to hear that it is not easy to make the sustainable aviation fuel available, and she also added that it is not alone the responsibility of engine manufacturer and aircraft manufacturer but is a collective responsibility of entire fleet and system to achieve this glorious 2050 goal.
As a concluding remark, she added that Hydrogen and Cryogenic technology will be used as a future technology to boost up the goal for fuel reduction.
