Paving the way in environmental standards
Air traffic management affects when, how far, how high, how fast and how efficiently aircraft fly. These factors in turn influence how much fuel an aircraft burns, the release of greenhouse and other gases from its engines and how much noise it makes. ATM enhancements, through the optimisation of horizontal and vertical flight profiles, have the potential to dramatically reduce in-flight CO2 emissions. An important part of SESAR’s work in this area stems from involvement in AIRE (the Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to Reduce Emissions), which was launched in 2007 in cooperation with the FAA. The SESAR JU is responsible for managing the initiative from a European perspective
AIRE is designed to improve energy efficiency and lower engine emissions and aircraft noise, by bringing ATM stakeholders together to perform integrated flight trials and demonstrations. Like the SESAR programme, AIRE aims to produce gradual improvements which can be easily implemented by each partner.
Following a successful first series of projects in 2009/10, a further 18 projects involving 40 airline, airport, air navigation service providers and industry partners were selected in July 2010. More than 5,000 trials are expected to take place during 2010/11.The philosophy of the 2010/11 activities is to try to transform results from “flight trials” into “day-to-day operations”. Consequently, the initiative has been significantly expanded to include more locations, operational procedures, and many new partners. A special emphasis has been put on including green gate-to-gate trials (across several ATC centres), and seven of the selected projects will cover this area. Out of the remaining projects, two cover surface operations, five cover terminal operations and four cover oceanic operations.
Final results of this cycle of AIRE projects are expected in early 2012. However, initial results have already shown that through the optimisation of operations alone, it is possible to make significant gains in terms of CO2 emissions, and to lower noise levels in and around airports. AIRE has proven that, without major technological investment, the value of working together towards common goals can be enormous. This is the partnership spirit in practice.
AIRE in action: The REACT-CR project
One of the projects selected in 2010 under the terminal operations category is the REACT-CR project (Reduction of Emissions using CDAs in TMA in Czech Republic). The project, led by Czech Airlines, aims to implement a Controlled Descent Approach (CDA) on flights from Moscow, Amsterdam, Paris and Bucharest landing at Ruzyně Airport in Prague.
Conventional descent procedures use the principle of descent in steps, combining periods of descent with periods of horizontal flight, during which engine revolutions have to be increased. By using th e proposed CDA procedure, aircraft can descend at a constant 3° angle throughout the entire approach, reducing fuel burn and therefore CO2 emissions. In addition, the initial and final approach will take place at higher altitudes above the ground, thus minimising both engine output and noise.
Czech Airlines estimate that the full deployment of CDA procedures at Ruzyně Airport could reduce CO2 emissions by approximately ten thousand tonnes annually, along with decreasing levels of noise from aircraft by 5 dB.
Czech airlines is cooperating on this project with the Air Navigation Services of the Czech Republic, Prague Airport, and the Spanish corporation Pildo Labs. The project held its first flight trial on 13 April on a Czech Airlines flight from Bucharest, Romania, to Ruzyně Airport in Prague. Flight trials are expected to continue until September 2011, after which the project will be evaluated and a proposal for specific CDA procedures for Prague – Ruzyně Airport will be presented, with a view to implementation in 2012.
