Airliners to fly in formation
Inspired by migrating birds, aircraft maker Airbus aims to develop a system in which airliners fly in a V formation to save tonnes of fuel per flight.
Imagine looking out of your plane window and seeing a group of other airlines all around you. That could happen in years to come (when flights have resumed, post-COVID) if experiments by aircraft maker Airbus come to fruition.
The company is working on a new concept known as “fello’fly” which could allow airliners to save 5-10% on fuel by flying in V formations. The idea was, of course, inspired by geese, which travel in groups when they migrate over thousands of kilometres. Their characteristic V formation means that individual birds get a free lift by the air vortices produced by the wings of the bird in front of them.
Today, air traffic regulations require a safety distance of 55-90km between planes over oceans. But if they are to make use of each other’s air vortices, the distance must be no more than 3km. Airbus believes that it can be done safely within spaces defined by air traffic controllers, the planes keeping at a horizontal distance of 1000 feet (305 metres), so there is no risk of collision. The rear plane ensures it keeps a full 3km distance behind the leading plane, and maintains an identical speed, before the pilot steers it sideways into the air vortex that allows the free lift.
In 2020, Airbus carried out preliminary experiments with two A350 airliners. In 2021, new experiments will include more planes in the same formation in cooperation with the French company Frenchbee and SAS of Scandinavia. Airbus has calculated that CO2 emissions could be reduced by 3-4 million tonnes a year if the full potential of the concept is realised.