- Airbus (OTCPK:EADSY) has signed agreements with Frenchbee and SAS Scandinavian Airlines to test the operational feasibility of its demonstrator project, fello'fly, for reducing aviation emissions.
- The program replicates the behavior of migrating geese, which surf the air upwash of a leader bird to reduce their energy consumption (known as wake-energy retrieval). See a video of how it works here.
- With aircraft, the technique reduces fuel consumption in the range of 5%-10% per trip, and on the global widebody scale, it would cut CO2 emissions by between 3M-4M tons per year.
- Flying together also has its risks. Under the agreement, Airbus, Frenchbee, SAS, DSNA, NATS and Eurocontrol will develop a safe and realistic concept of operations necessary to shape future operational regulations for the fello'fly flights.