Future by Airbus

A whole new way to fly...

Through innovation, and out-of-the-box thinking, Airbus will continue to meet its eco-efficiency goals, and ensure that air travel continues to be one of the safest, and most eco-efficient, means of transportation.

As the air transport sector continues to grow, Airbus believes that the industry as a whole must concentrate on technological advances, while also advancing solutions that will meet passenger and market demands, the growing population and its demographic profile, and respect all aspects of the environment.

In Airbus customers opinions are very crucial. People were asked their opinions what they expect in the future. In 2010 customers answers were "cheaper, greener and more fun!" but in 2012 it was "more sustainable; less stressful; and more of it, despite social media revolutionising how we keep in touch". 

Airbus is continuing to assess the feasibility for future operations, including studies in collaboration with Bristol, Cape Town and Stanford Universities. The study with Stanford was borne out of a proposal on the subject from its students that reached the final of the Airbus Fly Your Ideas challenge in 2009.  It employed simulation and aerodynamics analysis to explore the optimum number of aircraft in several configurations or geometries.

These included a two-aircraft formation, three-aircraft "skein" (the symmetric V-shaped formation associated with geese and ducks), an inverted-V and echelon formation.  The results suggest fuel burn savings of 10-12 per cent are possible, with emissions cut by up to 25 per cent.

Airbus already is looking into cooperative flight scheduling and conducting research into aircraft stability and control.  In parallel, a new breed of sensors able to detect the wake of the previous aircraft and rapid state changes must be developed. Avionic technologies already make this possible in principle.  Lightweight remote sensing equipment such as LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and Infrared cameras allow aircraft to detect the wake vortex – which is the turbulence produced by an aircraft in flight – of those ahead.

For aircraft to autonomously keep station, they will need to communicate with each other.  High-speed, real-time computation, communication and coordination would take inputs from all sources in the air and on the ground.  High bandwidth telecommunications would cope with the increase in data being transferred around the network.

Improvements on the plane

Longer and slimmer wings better glide through the skies, as the flow of air over the wing surface reduces drag and in turn, improves fuel efficiency.

New manufacturing methods will reduce the cost and environmental impact of building the aircraft despite the new advance materials and complex shapes.

Engines will be more reliable, quieter and fuel-efficient. The positioning of the engines, at the rear and semi-embedded, fully optimises the aircraft for lower fuel burn. The engine placement also boosts cabin comfort through decreased noise levels. The engines can be incorporated into the aircraft body because technological advances will have reached such a level that superior engine reliability will diminish the need for immediate access to its components.

The electrical system will continuously monitor its own state of health, anticipating any need for maintenance and automatically scheduling this well in advance. Electronics and other systems on board will be entirely self-sufficient, requiring minimum to zero maintenance.

The fuselage (central body of the aircraft) is no longer a simple tube but is curved and shaped to provide more internal space for various cabin configurations, with better aerodynamics outside to improve flight. The fuselage and entire aircraft structure is manufactured entirely from composite to take advantage of the easy-to-shape characteristics of the material.

Today's innovations at Airbus

          

Passengers comfort comes first for us

               The primitive goal of Airbus is by using innovative technologies to provide the most enjoyable flight services aloft.Therefore the high level of comfort is provided through a wide range of technological advancements, including environmental control systems, ambient lighting, in-flight entertainment and more. Innovations are divided into to major categories: improvements inside of the cabin and outside of the cabin.

Innovations inside of the cabin

          Passenger comfort is a major design consideration for Airbus, which is why the company’s product line of jetliners – from its best-selling single-aisle A320 Family to the 21st century flagship A380 and A350 XWB new generation aircraft – have built a reputation for offering the most enjoyable experiences aloft today.

          Airbus cabins are designed to offer passengers and airlines the highest levels of comfort, services and efficiency. Passenger comfort has always been a major design consideration at Airbus in order to ensure the best possible passenger experience across all its aircraft families.Not only are Airbus cabins innovative and attractive, they are continuously being improved to offer travellers the quietest, most comfortable and enjoyable journeys. In addition, Airbus has always championed passenger comfort with wider cross-sections for wider seats – particularly in economy class.

               Seat width is one of the most important – yet often overlooked – factors for passenger comfort. With an extra inch, compared to the 17-inch industry norm set in the 1950s that is still used by other aircraft manufacturers, Airbus jetliners offers travelers more personal space and room for lateral movement. 

Airbus aircraft deliver this level of comfort without compromising operating economics. Research shows an extra inch of seat width is equivalent to an extra two inches of pitch, in terms of passenger comfort. This allows airlines to provide superior comfort with 18-inch seats, while adding another row in economy class – increasing revenues and improving fuel costs per seat.

                                                                                    To respond to the growing market demand for on-board connectivity, Airbus has developed an aircraft connectivity “platform” that delivers the full breadth of new connectivity services and that is a generation beyond any other available system.Since winter 2010, Airbus operators have been able to offer worldwide broadband connectivity services via internet and mobile telephony. The Airbus platform, called Airline Network Architecture (ALNA), is the first connectivity solution available as line fit on Airbus aircraft and can be retrofitted to Airbus and other manufacturers’ aircraft. Thanks to this, passengers can use their own wireless communication devices such as mobile telephones, smart phones, tablet or laptops to send and receive SMS messages, e-mails with their attachments, access the internet or make and receive phone calls. Both WiFi and mobile telephony services are praised by passengers especially when travelling for business purposes. 

Outside of the cabin

To improve the environmental footprint of its families of efficient jetliners, Airbus is continuously working in key areas for innovation such as product technology enhancements, sustainable aviation fuels for aviation and Air Traffic Management (ATM).

As a result, Airbus has contributed significantly to the aviation industry’s improved eco-efficiency over the past several decades. In 1985, the average aircraft fleet consumed eight litres per passenger per 100 kilometres; today it is less than five litres, with an anticipated drop to three litres in 15-20 years.

Airbus is committed to ensuring that air travel continues to be one of the safest and most eco-efficient means of transportation. Environmental, health and safety considerations have long been an integral part of its activities at all levels of the company, and are a key priority in the development of all new techniques, products and processes.

Since the 1970s, aircraft fuel burn and CO2 emissions have been reduced by 70 per cent and noise by 75 per cent – however, the industry is determined to further improve its environmental performance and constantly is seeking new ways to reduce emissions and fuel burn.

Airbus’ extensive efforts to reduce aircraft noise are underscored by its efficient jetliner families – which are the quietest in the sky, ensuring operational freedom at airports with noise restrictions.Developments in this area include the Automatic Noise Abatement Departure Procedure (NADP), which optimizes the thrust and flight path to reduce noise over populated areas. 

Airbus has developed a road map working towards making sustainable aviation fuels a reality for aviation use. As part of this continued effort, the company is actively engaged in the implementation and testing of sustainable sustainable aviation fuels derived from biomass, and strongly supports the installation of local sustainable aviation fuel value-chains around the world. In addition, Airbus is researching a number of additional promising technologies, including electric propulsion and fuel cells.

For wider initiatives, such as Air Traffic Management (ATM), Airbus even co-operates with its competitors to deliver the best solutions for airlines and the environment. Airbus has a leading role in the SESAR project to improve the efficiency of European ATM and works with teams involved in the NEXT GEN project designed to do the same for U.S. ATM.

In addition, the company was selected to provide Air Traffic Management and Performance-Based Navigation expertise for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Greener Skies Initiative. As part of this effort, Airbus will identify procedures which fully utilize aircraft precision navigation capabilities to reduce fuel burn, lower emissions and decrease noise.

Perfect Flight

By combining state-of-the-art technologies in a single revenue flight, Airbus has demonstrated that CO2 emissions can be reduced by more than 40 per cent in a “perfect flight” compared to a similar regular flight.

Airbus and Air France completed the world’s first “Perfect Flight” in October 2011 by putting into practice multiple elements of the Airbus environmental roadmap – including the use of sustainable aviation fuels, optimised ATM and lighter cabin. The Toulouse-Paris flight was performed by an Airbus A321, and as a result, the aircraft emitted half the CO2 of a regular flight. 

The first North American “Perfect Flight” took place during June 2012 in a joint effort between Airbus and Air Canada. This activity utilised an A319 flying from Toronto to Mexico City, with the aircraft powered by a 50 per cent sustainable aviation fuel blend made with used cooking oil. Further enhancing this flight’s eco-efficiency were streamlined ATM procedures, use of Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) into the destination area, single-engine taxiing on the ground and external cleaning for improved aerodynamics. In August 2013, Airbus and Air Canada received aeronautical publication Air Transport World’s Eco-partnership Award in honor of their successful “Perfect Flight” collaboration.

Airbus innovation in the past

                      Looking back...

               During the past 30 years, Airbus has continuously and progressively introduced composite technology as a consequence of successful experience accumulated.

                At a time when other manufacturers were concentrating on three or four-engine aircraft, Airbus entered the civil aviation scene in the 1970s by developing the first-ever widebody twin-engine: the A300. This aircraft featured low fuel consumption, highly efficient operating costs and reduced external noise levels, and incorporated Category 3 landing technology along with enhanced passenger comfort in the cabin and containerised cargo handling.

                During the early 1980s, Airbus improved the A300 with a new concept of forward-facing crew cockpits – bringing the crew to two pilots while also improving safety and introducing new standards for civil aircraft. The company then developed a shortened version of the A300: the A310. This was the first commercial widebody to be certified for two-man crew operations from the beginning, as well as the initial aircraft to use composites for primary structure components. Later in the decade, Airbus broke new ground with the A320 – which set standards for efficiency and cabin comfort, while introducing fly-by-wire flight technology and side-stick controls into civil aviation.

               Airbus introduced the ultra-efficient A330 and A340 aircraft for the medium and long-range markets in the early 1990s, well known throughout the industry for their very low operating costs per seat.