Boeing and Etihad Airways will use a 787-10 Dreamliner to test ways to reduce emissions and noise, as part of the aerospace company’s ecoDemonstrator programme, before the airline accepts delivery of the airplane this fall.
The collaboration, which includes extensive sound measurement testing with industry partners, builds on a strategic sustainability alliance Boeing and Etihad formed in November 2019.
“This is the latest programme under Etihad’s industry-leading strategic partnership with Boeing, focusing on innovating real-world solutions to the key sustainability challenges facing the aviation industry,” says Etihad Aviation Group Chief Executive Officer Tony Douglas said.
“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 minimise the impact of aviation on the environment.”
The ecoDemonstrator program utilises commercial aircraft to test technologies that can make aviation safer and more sustainable now and into the future. 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, 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, including landing gear, that are modified for quieter operations.
Test flights will be flown on a blend of sustainable fuel, which significantly lowers aviation’s environmental footprint. The testing programme is expected to last about four weeks before Etihad enters its Boeing 787-10 into service.
