PASSENGER planes could soon be flying in V-shape flocks in a bid to cut down on carbon emissions and save on fuel.
European manufacturer Airbus says flight technology is now mature enough to use a V-shaped formation which allows aircraft to ride on the coattails of each other.
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The Airbus plan called Fello’fly, is the latest attempt for flight engineers to mimic the flight of birds.Within six months two A350 planes are set to make a long-haul formation flight to prove the so-called “wake energy retrieval” is safe and reliable.
Dr Sandra Bour Schaeffer, chief executive of Airbus UpNext said: “We’ve known about the efficiency of migrating birds for a long time.
“The air is smooth and easy to ride and does not impact the comfort of passengers.
“There is huge potential in it.”
Formation flying will depend on the precise co-ordination of flight paths and use satellite positioning to ensure planes are suitably separated.
There is no theoretical limit to the number of planes taking part but traffic will have to be managed by controllers.
The tactic is often seen in cycling where racers ‘draft’ behind leaders of the race, following in their slipstream.
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“Safety is our top priority,” said fello’fly demonstrator Nick Macdonald.
“We’re working to develop the functions necessary to assist pilots to safely stay in position behind the leader during a long-haul flight.”
In early 2021, an airline will pair two jets, with the second flying nearly two miles from the first, on a transatlantic passenger route.
Within five years airlines will be encouraged to use the formation in a bid to save up to 10 per cent of fuel, lower costs as well as carbon emissions.
For every tonne of fuel saved, three tonnes less carbon dioxide will be left in the plane’s trail.
The new technology comes amid growing pressures around the world to cut carbon emissions.
Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg famously sailed to and from the US to avoid taking a flight.
She has popularised the Swedish term flygskam, meaning flight shame, to discourage others from flying due to its environmental impact.
British Airways recently announced plans to become the first UK airline to offset all carbon emissions on flights within the UK.
The airline’s parent company, International Airlines Group has committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
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