How It Works-Amazing Vehicles

Airbus has always been at the forefront of

av iation technolog y and its futuristic

Smarter Skies concept aims to be more

effi cient and eco-friendly. Here are a few

ways in which it’s hoping to make future air

travel better for passengers and the

environment by 2050.

The most energy-effi cient

plane on the planet

Design: Airbus

SMARTER SKIES

9 mn

To n s

of fuel that

could be

saved

To have a good look

around the most

futuristic cabin ever,

download The Future By

A irbus app for free from

iTunes. It gives you a

v ir tual tour of the fl ight

you could be catching in

around 35 years.

Learn more

ECO-CLIMB

Electromagnetic motors built into the runway

would save fuel and reduce noise pollution. They

could launch the plane into the air on take-off and

capture it as it lands, slowing it down safely. This

would save fuel by removing the need for heavy

landing gear, but would require every airport to

have the same system.

CONCEPT CABIN

Airbus is looking to do away with cramped seats,

narrow aisles and class warfare. Instead, planes

will be split into zones, such as a relaxation zone,

an interaction zone and a smart tech zone. The

latter could hold seats made of materials that

have a ‘memory’, morphing to each passenger’s

body shape.

BETTER TOGETHER

Birds fl ying in their V formation reduce drag by up

to 65 per cent. Airbus is proposing planes on

popular routes could club together and fl y in

formation, reducing fuel burn by ten to 12 per

cent. That could save over 10,000 litres (2,640

gallons) of fuel on a journey between London and

New York.

DID YOU KNOW? BAE is looking into 3D printing unmanned aircraft on board in order to respond faster to mission changes