High up in the clouds, out of sight for the majority of those on the ground, there is a complex world of air traffic which few people, other than pilots, scientists and air traffic controllers, understand. Fortunately for the masses, SESAR, the body responsible for the Single European Sky and general air traffic management research [...]

How could you travel 1,500 miles away without using fossil fuel? It would be an incredibly long trip on foot, or by bicycle, and that’s without thinking about crossing water. The answer to this question is in fact, by airplane. Betrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, the Swiss pilots and pioneers of the Solar Impulse are [...]

So is the way with modern technology that changes are not always shockingly obvious, in fact they can be quite immeasurable to the untrained eye, but skies above do they make a difference. Noise has been made (or not made as the case is), seats have been booked, and a round the world tour have [...]

What is I-4D? – despite the name, it is not the latest craze for cinema goers, but is in fact the culmination of a smart new air traffic management technology delivered by SESAR (Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research) with the help of Airbus, Eurocontrol, Honeywell, Indra, Noracon1, and Thales. February 10, 2012, was [...]

Southwest Airlines has introduced a ‘new sleek cabin experience’ called Evolve, designed to enhance flyer comfort and improve the efficiency of its fleet, effectively killing two birds with one stone – comfort and reduction of the airline’s environmental impact in return for aircraft renovation. “We are preparing now for our next 40 years with a [...]

As if on cue to support the previous blog post, Eurocontrol has just celebrated 10 years of the Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) programme which went live at 01:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on January 24, 2002. For a number of reasons this was a truly significant moment for air traffic management, not least because [...]

The attitude of an air traffic controller   must be similar to a teacher’s when dealing with a class room full of inquisitive, hyperactive children. The constant back and forth of ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘do this while you’re waiting’, happens 52,000 times a day all around the world, according to SESAR, and its set to increase by [...]

Consider the changes undergone in aviation since the commercial use of jet aircraft began at the end of the 1950’s, and it is easy to see the progression in aircraft shape and design, let alone fuel efficiency. Today jet aircraft are over 70% more fuel efficient per seat kilometre than those of the 1960’s, and [...]

Electricity has become a formidable opponent to fossil fuels in recent times as it reaches into copious areas of development in technology. Its employment is welcomed with open arms by the environmentally conscientious for its reduced carbon footprint and silent work. Taking these characteristics into account leaves little else to be explained with regards as [...]

Alaska Airlines and Dutch airline KLM have been using Boeing’s new “Wind updates” service for several months now. This service harnesses the variability of the wind to reduce fuel consumption.  How? Well, traditionally for flights, wind information forecasts have been printed several hours before take-off to facilitate flight planning, but as weather can change, the charts run the risk of being outdated at the time [...]