Imagine a group of cyclists drafting behind each other to save energy; this project does the same for airplanes. By flying in specific patterns, planes can 'catch' the air currents left by the aircraft in front of them to burn less fuel. The goal is to make this safe and organized for commercial flights across the ocean and over Europe.
Airlines face high fuel costs and strict carbon emission targets. Current air traffic management does not allow planes to fly in energy-saving formations due to safety and regulatory constraints.
A Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for Wake Energy Retrieval, a pairing Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) process, and a set of simulations and trials to prove fuel savings.
If you are a commercial airline dealing with high fuel costs and carbon emissions — this project developed Wake Energy Retrieval (WER) operations that allow planes to fly in energy-saving pairs. This reduces fuel consumption and environmental impact for flights to the North Atlantic and Asia.
If you are an ANSP dealing with crowded airspace and strict safety separations — this project developed a new Concept of Operations (CONOPS) and pairing Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) tools. This allows you to manage energy-efficient flight pairs without compromising safety.
If you are an aircraft manufacturer dealing with pressure to build greener planes — this project developed wake science research into non-CO2 benefits of formations. This provides the data needed to optimize aircraft for energy-retrieval flight modes.
Based on available project data, the project is conducting a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) for all impacted parties, but specific pricing is not provided.
The project targets TRL6 for North Atlantic operations (demonstrated in a relevant environment) and TRL4 for continental European operations (validated in lab/simulations).
Based on available project data, the consortium includes 14 industry partners, but specific licensing terms are not detailed in the summary.
The project specifically analyzes the impacts on current standards and regulations to ensure the new flight methods are legally compliant.
The project period runs from 2023-06-01 to 2026-05-31, with the goal of validating operational feasibility by the end date.
The project is heavily industry-driven, with 14 out of 20 partners coming from the private sector (70% industry ratio). Led by Airbus, the group spans 10 countries and includes a strategic mix of aircraft manufacturers, airlines, and air navigation service providers, ensuring the results are grounded in commercial reality rather than just academic theory.
Contact Airbus (France) regarding the GEESE project and Wake Energy Retrieval operations.
Contact us to connect with the GEESE consortium for early adoption of WER operations.
