Boeing and Etihad Airways are collaborating to evaluate ways to reduce emissions and noise. They will use a 787-10 Dreamliner to do so as part of the aerospace company’s ecoDemonstrator program before the airline accepts delivery of the airplane this fall.
The collaboration includes extensive sound measurement testing with industry partners
Etihad Aviation Group chief executive officer Tony Douglas said, “This is the latest program under Etihad’s industry-leading strategic partnership with Boeing, focusing on innovating real-world solutions to the key sustainability challenges facing the aviation industry.”
“The ecoDemonstrator program is founded on innovation and sustainability — and these are core values for Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi, and the United Arab Emirates. Etihad and Boeing see a great opportunity to collaborate and share knowledge to minimize the impact of aviation on the environment,” he added.
The ecoDemonstrator program uses commercial aircraft to test technologies that can make aviation safer and more sustainable, in the future too. The 2020 program, which will begin testing in August, is the first to use a Boeing 787-10.
Boeing and Etihad will work with industry-leading partners
They will work with partners including NASA and Safran Landing Systems, to conduct aircraft noise measurements from sensors on the airplane and the ground. The data will be used to validate aircraft noise prediction processes and the sound reduction potential of aircraft designs. This also includes landing gear modified for quieter operations.
A flight will also be conducted during which pilots, air traffic controllers, and an airline’s operations center will simultaneously share digital information to optimize routing efficiency. It will also enhance safety by reducing workload and radio frequency congestion. Test flights will be flown on combined sustainable fuel, which lowers aviation’s environmental footprint significantly. The testing program could last about four weeks before Etihad enters its Boeing 787-10 into service.
