Imagine a plane wing that is much longer and thinner, acting like a high-performance glider to slice through the air with less effort. By changing the shape and how it handles fuel, the plane can fly much further using less energy. It's like upgrading a car's aerodynamics to get significantly more miles out of every gallon of fuel.
Sustainable aviation fuels and hydrogen are expensive and limited, making aircraft operations unaffordable without a drastic increase in energy efficiency. Current wing designs cannot provide the necessary drag reduction to meet 2035 emission targets.
The project is developing two wing configurations: a high aspect ratio wing for SAF and a 'dry wing' for hydrogen storage, validated through virtual and wind tunnel testing.
If you are an OEM dealing with high fuel costs and emission regulations — this project developed high aspect ratio wing concepts that provide a 10-13% aerodynamic improvement. This helps achieve a total aircraft fuel burn reduction of at least 30% compared to 2020 standards.
If you are an engine maker dealing with the transition to hydrogen power — this project developed a 'dry wing' configuration for non-drop-in fuels. This allows for the integration of open rotor propulsion to increase wing-level energy efficiency by up to 17%.
If you are a materials supplier dealing with the need for lighter, stronger wing structures — this project developed ultra-high performance wing architectures. These designs target minimum weight while maximizing lift, creating a demand for next-generation lightweight materials.
Based on available project data, the project targets a minimum 30% fuel burn reduction at the aircraft level, which directly lowers operational fuel costs.
The project aims to reach TRL4 for the SAF wing by Q1/2026, meaning it is currently in the validation and laboratory testing phase, not yet at full industrial scale.
Based on available project data, the consortium includes 18 industry partners and 3 SMEs who are maturing specific technology bricks, but specific licensing terms are not disclosed.
The technology is aligned with aircraft development plans for entry into service in 2035, with a target of 75% market penetration by 2050.
The project uses the A321neo as the 2020 state-of-the-art reference and focuses on Short/Medium Range aircraft carrying 150-250 passengers.
The project is led by Airbus Operations GmbH and features a heavy industrial lean with 18 industry partners (60% of the consortium), including 3 SMEs. With 30 partners across 8 European countries, the group balances high-level airframe integration with 11 research and university entities, ensuring a pipeline from academic theory to industrial TRL4 validation.
Contact Airbus Operations GmbH regarding the UP Wing consortium
Contact us to find partners for the second phase aiming for TRL6.
