LONDON – On the 26th of September 2022, Easyjet, a European low-cost giant, is set to upgrade its A320 family fleet with the Descent Profile Optimisation (DPO) from Airbus.
This DPO is a state-of-the-art program that enhances fuel saving to the Flight Management System (FMS), an aircraft on-board computer.
The other feature is the “Continuous Descent Approach” (CDA) which will mitigate the noise impact on the ground.
EasyJet will become the largest operator using these Descent Profile Optimisation (DPO) and the “Continuous Descent Approach” (CDA) systems of Airbus.
Airbus is glad to have such a large airline implementing these state-of-the-art systems.
Captain David Morgan, easyJet’s acting COO, commented highly on the systems:
“While our ultimate ambition is to achieve zero carbon emission flying, we must continue our focus on reducing the carbon emissions in our operation each and every day.”
“That’s why this multi-million-pound investment is an important step in achieving a permanent reduction in the short-term, which will see us operating the largest fleet of DPO and CDA-enabled aircraft in the world.”
“But one crucial element to reducing carbon emissions right now cannot be achieved by the industry alone, and so we are also calling on governments to introduce airspace modernization right now, including finally implementing the Single European Sky”.
Wouter Van Wersch, Executive Vice President, Region, and Sales Europe.“We are very pleased that easyJet will equip its entire Airbus A320 family fleet with these state-of-the-art technologies.”
“Emission reduction in aviation is most successfully achieved as a team effort – aircraft manufacturers joining forces with airlines and air traffic management.”
“By combining the use of DPO and CDA, EasyJet will further reduce its fuel consumption while optimizing the trajectory of all its flights.”
The two systems of DPO and CDA will allow EasyJet to better increase its efficiency and noise pollution at airports they are operating to and from.
Both systems instruct the pilots or, rather, the in-flight computer to descend from cruise altitude using only idle thrust (minimal power).
These significantly reduce fuel consumption and shave off Nitrogen Oxide and Carbon emissions drastically, meaning that the European airline will massively contribute to making the industry carbon neutral by 2050.
In addition, the noise level has also been shaved, minimizing community impact from Easyjet’s operations.
These phenomenons can be achieved by the intuitive collaboration between DPO and CDA, which will maximize the aircraft’s time spent at its most efficient stages of flight: cruise.
The system will prevent the aircraft from descending too early and eradicate the level-off stage at the bottom of the descent profile when the aircraft engines maintain a thrust level in dense air before entering the final landing mode.
Airplanes are less efficient during the descend mode.
The upgrade on the airline’s entire fleet will be fulfilled by the end of 2023, with more than 300 A32 family aircraft to be fitted with the DPO and CDA.
