Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

The Luton-based firm has unveiled the easyJet ecoJet, a concept aircraft capable of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by half and making 25 per cent less noise than the aircraft that exist today that could be in operation by 2015.

The aircraft would incorp-orate the latest research by airframe and engine manufact-urers around the world – all of which can be incorporated into an aircraft that should be in operation by 2015.

Speaking at a press conference to unveil the ecoJet, Andy Harrison, easyJet’s chief executive, said: “The aviation industry has an excellent record in reducing the environmental footprint of aircraft.

“Today’s aircraft are typically 70 per cent cleaner and 75 per cent quieter than their 1960s counterparts. Now we are planning the next generation that will help towards taking the plane out of the emissions equation.”

easyJet has labelled the ecoJet the first in several step-change in technologies that will be needed to reduce the emissions from aviation in 2050 to below 2005 levels, adding that alone it could lead to a stabilisation of emissions from short-haul aviation at 2005 levels until 2035 providing massive environmental benefits.

“easyJet is already setting the environmental standard in the airline industry,” said Harrison. “Our fleet of 131 aircraft has an average age of only 2.3 years – the youngest of any major airline in Europe.

“We have recently called for over 700 of the dirtiest aircraft to be banned from Europe’s skies and are active supporters of the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme and Single European Skies programme.”

easyJet’s projection for the 50 per cent CO2 reduction is based on the findings from the latest research by the industry leaders and will come from the engines (25 per cent), the lightweight airframe (15 per cent) and from improvements to air traffic control technology and design (10 per cent).

The airline has outlined four key design features it says will make the ecoJet radically more environmentally efficient:

• The rear-mounted ‘open-rotor’ engines are set to offer unrivalled environmental performance for short-haul flying due to their higher propulsive efficiency. Because of the significant difficulties in fixing such a large engine under a wing of a narrow-body aircraft, rear-mounting of the engines is the optimum solution;

• A lower design cruise speed to reduce drag and a shorter design range to reduce weight;

• Noise reductions are expected to come from a gear box between the engine and the open-rotor blades keeping them subsonic during take-off and landing, the use of the rear empennage to shield the ground from engine noise, and airframe improvements (such as no slats on the front of the wing);

• The airframe will be made of advanced weight-reducing materials similar to those used in current projects like the Boeing 787, which itself is estimated to be 27% more fuel efficient than the aircraft it will replace in many fleets.

“The aircraft example we have unveiled today represents the next major step forward in airframe and engine technology,” said Harrison.

“The lightweight structure and open-rotor engines are based on technologies that are being developed right now by the major manufacturers.

“The easyJet ecoJet is realistic and it is achievable. If it were to be made available today we would order hundreds of them for fleet replacement and to achieve the ‘green growth’ that our industry has committed to.”

easyJet’s fleet currently consists of 101 A319s and 30 Boeing 737-700s.