Boeing suggests airlines copy flying geese to save on fuel

© Americanspirit

Could airlines cut fuel bills by lining up like Canada geese? In this fascinating piece from Bloomberg, Boeing’s vp product development, Mike Sinnett, suggests carriers could cut fuel bills by as much as 15% by flying in a v-shaped formation, favoured by migratory birds. The idea is to sidestep investment in structural changes and futuristic technologies and use navigation and collision-avoidance tools, already widely installed in cockpits, to link flying convoys. The concept is one of many under consideration by the Chicago-based aircraft manufacturer. The impact on the freight industry – which has long sought ways to reduce costs and improve margins – could be seismic. Although ‘wake-surfing’ as it is known, would provide a scheduling nightmare…