On Thursday June 16th, Boeing unveiled its 2022 ecoDemonstrator with a livery that honors a decade of testing to reduce fuel use, emissions and noise. The latest ecoDemonstrator, a Boeing-owned 777-200ER, will test about 30 new technologies aimed at improving sustainability and safety for the aerospace industry, including a water conservation system and technologies to improve operational efficiency.
According to CNN, the 2022 ecoDemonstrator plane with registration number N861BC was first delivered to Singapore Airlines in 2002. It then spent time flying with Air New Zealand and Suriname Airways over its 20-year lifespan.
The ecoDemonstrator program’s rigorous testing of new technologies enhances the environmental performance of our products. It’s our commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO
During six months of flight and ground tests starting this summer, the 2022 ecoDemonstrator will evaluate:
- In collaboration with NASA, SMART vortex generators, small vertical vanes on the wing, that improve aerodynamic efficiency during takeoff and landing
- A system to conserve onboard water and reduce weight as well as fuel use
- Additively manufactured airplane and engine parts to help reduce fuel use and manufacturing waste
- An environmentally preferred refrigerant and a new fire suppression agent to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- A heads-up enhanced vision system for pilots to improve operational efficiency
- Continued comprehensive study of the impact of sustainable aviation fuel toward the reduction of emissions
- For all flight tests, the 777-200ER will fly on a highest approved blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) available
The Boeing ecoDemonstrator program brings together innovative technologies and partnerships with customers, suppliers, government agencies and academia.
Chris Raymond, Boeing Chief Sustainability Officer
At its annual meeting in October of 2021, IATA, the International Air Transport Association, announced a resolution in support of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Many airlines have promised to offer carbon-neutral flights and explore ways to reduce pollution. According to CNN, Spanish airline Air Nostrum will be ordering 10 new Airlander 10 hybrid aircraft, scheduled to be delivered by 2026. The Airlander would cut emissions by 90%, according to the manufacturing company Hybrid Air Vehicles.
Since its initial flights in 2012, the Boeing ecoDemonstrator program has accelerated innovation by taking new technologies out of the lab and testing them in an operational environment. Including this year’s platform, the program has tested about 230 technologies to help decarbonize aviation, improve operational efficiency and enhance safety and the passenger experience. Approximately a third of tested technologies have progressed onto Boeing’s products and services.
