TIM ROBINSON FRAeS and BILL READ FRAeS report on how the US airframer is focusing on green aviation through environmental, social and governance strategies, together with research into new technologies through its ecoDemonstrator programme.
Boeing Chief Sustainability Officer Chris Raymond. (Boeing)
Following the crises of two fatal crashes of the 737 MAX airliners, the prolonged grounding of the aircraft and the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the former assumptions of ‘business returning to normal’ are no longer valid. Boeing has responded to this with the creation of a new Global Enterprise Sustainability division that is aiming to strengthen the values of environmental, social and governance (ESG) and put them at the company’s core. Appointed in September 2020, Chris Raymond is the company’s first Chief Sustainability Officer and the creation of this new division and position (which reports directly to the CEO) is a sign of how much importance the company now places on this key area – with the company releasing its first comprehensive sustainability report earlier this year.
Boeing’s sustainability efforts are not new but this represents a new singular and unified focus across the whole of its business, from satellites to airliners. Says Chris Raymond: “The collection of activities that falls under ESG now is really the environmental topics, the social topics and the governance of the company. I think we’ve done a lot of those things as a company since our inception but we weren’t really pulling it all together and we probably weren’t putting it in the language that the world expects it now.”
Regaining trust
Raymond notes the implicit issue of Boeing’s credibility post-737 MAX: “Because of Boeing’s challenges before the pandemic, the reality is we have to earn some trust. We have to re-earn some trust and I think this topic was just one that was so important to our stakeholders, regardless of who they were: an employee, a customer, a regulator or the flying public. We wanted to put more attention or focus on it. And so we did that by naming a dedicated organisation. I report directly to the CEO, we set the organisation up around ESG, so we had the right focus on those topics inside and across the company.”
Raymond agrees that, even pre-pandemic, the aviation industry was on the back foot in getting its message across in its efforts to improve sustainability and its immense societal value. “Just think going forward, we’re going to have to be a little more mindful of making sure we’re humbly and credibly communicating what the industry is doing because there’s this view that we’re just growing and aren’t paying attention to it by some. We’ve got to make sure the public sees the societal goodness but also understands that ‘we get it’ and it’s changing to be more sustainable as it grows and goes forward,” adding: “we have to stay focused on that constant, credible communication. I just look at what’s happened with the oil, gas and automotive industries and we certainly don’t want aerospace to fall into that perception.”
Diversity and inclusion
Boeing’s new sustainability division is not just about greener airliners and communicating progress to stakeholders better. It is also about securing the long-term future of the aviation industry by opening its doors to include a wider set of skilled workers than ever before by embracing diversity and inclusion. Again, this is not new and, in fact, dates from the company’s founding, when a Chinese man, Wong Tsu, was the first aeronautical engineer employed by Bill Boeing in 1916.
So what more needs to be done on D&I? “I think it’s never-ending. On diversity, I think how a company is developing its workforce; what’s the culture of a company? Is it diverse in its thinking? Is it a place, not just for gender diversity or racial diversity, but a diversity of thought? Is it a culture that supports speaking up? All of that is important, having the right culture in a company and it’s all part of what is now defined as a more sustainable company.”
End-to-end sustainability
The US Air Force has ordered 350 Boeing/Saab T-7A Red Hawk aircraft which used advanced digital design to cut time and waste. (Boeing)
Raymond’s wide-ranging remit not only covers green technology that may make it on to future Boeing airliners but also the end-to-end sustainable process from design, manufacturing, support and disposal, and recycling – to the amount of energy used in Boeing’s factories. New methods of digital design and 3D printing, such as on Boeing/Saab T-7A Red Hawk trainer, have the potential to reduce traditional waste. Meanwhile, he says, progress is being made on recycling, including previously difficult materials, such as composites. Says Raymond: “In the UK, when we started making the 787, the industry for the waste created with carbon-fibre was not as mature as the industry for aluminium or titanium waste. An industry had to be created. Boeing and a company called ELG Composites in the UK figured out a way to take that carbon fibre waste from the fuselage cut-outs that we do for windows and recycle that material and resell it as plastic blocks that other industries can use. So your computer case on your laptop might be created out of carbon-fibre from the 787. That kind of circularity is going to be more and more prevalent.”
Lessons from the pandemic
Boeing is focusing on sustainability. (Boeing)
With the world now emerging from the pandemic and airliner orders creeping back up again (Boeing has reportedly got rid of nearly all 200 737 MAX ‘white tails’ it had on its books), Raymond is bullish about growth. “I’m pretty faithful that air travel is going to recover. More people are going to want to travel. World GDP is going to allow more people to do it and so this gets back to, if we grow, we have to make sure that it’s seen as growing safely and sustainably.” As well as this pent-up demand and the importance of air freight during Covid, Raymond explains that: “one thing that I think has been, maybe, not learned but maybe relearned is how important the fleet renewal is and, as the industry roars back, I think these airlines are going to put their newer equipment online first, be it Boeing, Airbus or Embraer. That’s going to be another step forward on carbon emissions. I don’t think the industry talks about that enough or the airlines may not get enough credit for that.”
Scaling up SAF
Finally, Raymond sees the biggest challenge, yet the biggest opportunity to decarbonising the aviation, is the scaling up the production of drop-in sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). With events now coming together to make this possible – “The biggest challenge in the near term, which I’m hopeful on, is the scale-up on sustainable aviation fuel.” he says, adding: “I look at what’s occurring with governments with net-zero ambitions and, to me, these megatrends are all creating an environment where the collaboration is more likely to occur that will let banks and capital flow to this and scale up sustainable fuel. That scale-up over the next decade of SAF, frankly, is the biggest and most reachable opportunity for the industry and would be huge for this sector to continue to grow but also start to change the carbon emissions curve.”
Indeed, in a recent move, Boeing struck a deal with Netherlands-based SkyNRG in July to accelerate and scale up the rollout of SAF. Concludes Raymond: “SAF is a no-regrets move; almost regardless of how fast you believe hydrogen or electric or of any of these things can scale in our industry, we’re still going to need SAF.”
EcoDemonstrator programme
The 2021 Boeing ecoDemonstrator uses a 737 MAX in partnership with Alaska Airlines. (Bill Read/RAeS)
In October, Boeing brought its latest ecoDemonstrator aircraft over to Glasgow, the Scottish city where the UK is hosting the UN COP26 international climate change conference in November. AEROSPACE was invited to tour the aircraft while it was at Glasgow Airport.
Boeing has been running its ecoDemonstrator programme for a number of years. Beginning in 2012, Boeing has used eight aircraft as flying testbeds to trial a wide variety of different technologies and test them in the air to see if they have potential to be developed into solutions to improve aircraft and airline efficiency, enhance passenger experience and reduce the impact of aviation on the environment. These have included technologies that reduce fuel use, emissions and noise, as well as incorporating more sustainable materials. Other projects have focused on cabin amenities such as smart galleys, seats and lavatories that increase airline reliability and the efficiency of fleets and crews.
The ecoDemonstrator programme is run by a small team of engineers and specialists working within the Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ Product Development division. The team is augmented by engineers and researchers from Boeing together with airlines, suppliers and academia. The team has the motto ‘innovate, collaborate, accelerate’ with the aim of supporting one another to use the test platform to advance innovation for aviation and the constant evolution of new ideas.
The aircraft and technologies used for the first seven EcoDemonstrator programmes are summarised below.
2012 737-800NG (delivered to American Airlines)
Boeing ecoDemonstrator 1 – American Airlines 737-800NG. (Boeing)
The 737 tested 14 projects, including:
- Aerodynamic performance of the 737 MAX advanced technology winglet.
- Variable area fan nozzle to optimize engine efficiency.
- Active engine vibration control.
- Regenerative hydrogen fuel cell for aircraft electrical power.
- Flight path optimisation for operational efficiency.
- Carpet made from recycled materials.
- Flying on blend of sustainable aviation fuel.
2014: 787-8 Dreamliner (owned by Boeing)
Boeing ecoDemonstrator 2 – Boeing 777-200 flew on renewable diesel fuel. (Boeing)
The 777 tested 35 projects, including:
- Aerodynamic and flight control improvements.
- Advanced wing coatings to reduce ice accumulation.
- Software applications and connectivity technologies to improve flight planning, fuel-load optimisation, in-flight routing and landing.
- Airborne Spacing for Terminal Arrival Routes (ASTAR) system to help achieve precise spacing between aircraft during approaches.
- Touch-screen displays on the flight deck.
- Wireless sensors to reduce wiring weight.
- Outer wing access doors made from recycled 787 carbon fibre.
- First flight using renewable diesel.
2015: 757 (owned by the aircraft finance division of Stifel)
Boeing ecoDemonstrator 3 – 90% of the 757 dismantled after the project was recycled. (Boeing)
The 757 tested 20 projects, including:
- Robust wing designs to enable natural laminar flow and improve aerodynamic efficiency, including Krueger shield to protect the leading edge of the wing from insects, ‘bug-phobic’ coatings that can reduce drag from insect residue and active flow control to improve airflow over the rudder
- Flew using 5% blend of renewable diesel
This aircraft was subsequently dismantled with around 90% of materials being reused or recycled.
2016: E170 (owned by Embraer)
Boeing ecoDemonstrator 4 – Embraer 170 flew used SAF sourced from Brazilian sugarcane. (Boeing)
The E170 tested six projects, including:
- Ice-phobic paint to reduce drag.
- Wireless measurement of airflow over the surface of the wing.
- Wing slat cove fillers to reduce noise.
- Air data measurement system using light distancing and ranging (LiDAR).
- Flew using SAF sourced from Brazilian sugarcane.
2018: 777 Freighter (owned by FedEx Express)
Boeing ecoDemonstrator 5 – FedEx Express 777F was the first commercial airliner flight to fly using 100% sustainable fuel. (Boeing)
The 777F trialled 37 projects, including:
- Surface Operations Collision Awareness System (SOCAS) which uses optical and radar sensors to detect obstacles on the ground.
- FLYHT Aerospace Solutions’ Automated Flight Information Reporting System (AFIRS) provides tracking, distress and data-streaming capabilities from flight data recorders.
- World’s first commercial airliner flight flown on 100% sustainable fuel.
- Manufacturing byproducts reused as for fittings replacing titanium alloy (Ti64) with over 75% recycled content.- A laser system to detect clear air turbulence.
2019: 777-200 (owned by Boeing)
Boeing ecoDemonstrator 6 – Boeing 777-200 tested shape-changing vortex generator vanes. (Boeing)
The 777 tested 53 projects, including:
- Small vertical ‘vortex generator’ vanes formed from shape memory alloys extended on take-off and landing to improve aerodynamic efficiency but retracted during flight.
- Electronic flight bag application to automatically reroute an aircraft to avoid bad weather conditions.
- Operational efficiency project to enable pilots, air traffic controllers and an airline’s operations centre to share digital information to optimise routing
- Self-disinfecting lavatory using ultraviolet light to disinfect all surfaces.
- Galleys equipped with sensors to help cabin crews locate catering items faster and enable airlines to better manage inventories using data analytics.
- Organic LED displays in the ceiling and on a cabin divider to inform and entertain passengers.
2020: 787-10 (owned by Etihad Airways)
Boeing ecoDemonstrator 7 – Etihad Airways 787-10 trialled noise-reducing landing gear. (Boeing)
The 787 tested nine projects, including:
- Landing gear modified to be quieter by Safran Landing System.
- Another operational efficiency project.
- Portable ultraviolet wand to disinfect high-touch and hard to clean surfaces, including flight deck control panels
iPad apps developed from previous ecoDemonstrator projects provide weather information to pilots to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. (Boeing)
Many Boeing commercial aircraft now incorporate technologies which were evaluated and proven on the ecoDemonstrator programme, including more aerodynamically efficient winglets on the 737 MAX, iPad apps that provide real-time weather and other information to pilots to help improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, customised landing approach path information to lower noise and flight deck touch-screen displays and a camera system on the 777X to help pilots avoid ground obstacles.
The 2021 programme
Boeing ecoDemonstrator 8 – Alaska Airlines 737 MAX. (Boeing)
After announcing its partnership with Alaska Airlines in June 2021, Boeing began testing the latest ecoDemonstrator in August. The aircraft flew from Boeing Field in Seattle to Glasgow on 3-4 October. The eight-hour flight across the Atlantic was fuelled by a 50/50 blend of paraffin SAF.
The choice of Glasgow as the destination airport was no coincidence. Not only Glasgow is set to host the UN COP26 summit but Boeing has strong links with Scotland, having established the ‘Boeing Scotland Alliance’ in March 2020 which created 200 supply chain jobs plus major investment into research and development projects.
The 737-9 MAX ecoDemonstrator is currently operating as an experimental aircraft. (Bill Read/RAeS)
The eighth ecoDemonstrator 2021 test platform is a Boeing 737-9 which will be used to test 21 different technologies and modes of operation. Although the aircraft is in Alaska Airways livery, it is currently being operated by Boeing as an experimental aircraft and will have the experimental additions removed before joining the airline’s fleet in 2022.
Scimitar winglets. (Bill Read/RAeS)
Although the ecoDemonstrator looks like a conventional passenger jet from the outside, the aircraft incorporates design lessons learned from previous projects and features split scimitar winglets on the wing tips. The interior of the cabin is fitted with basic seats while the front of the fuselage is equipped with test and monitoring equipment.
ecoDemonstrator Chief Engineer, Rae Lutters, gives a tour of the aircraft. (Bill Read/RAeS)
Not all the different technologies are being tested at the same time but among the 2021 projects include:
Cabin interior sidewalls made from recycled carbon composites. (Bill Read/RAeS)
- The cabin interior sidewalls are made from recycled carbon composite fibre created from waste from the 777X production line. The programme’s Chief Engineer, Rae Lutters, explained that such panels could save 9-13.6 kg across an aircraft.
Low-profile anti-collision light. (Boeing)
- Low-profile anti-collision light designed to fit mostly within the fuselage provides better protection for the light, improves maintenance and reduces drag. While this Hanwha Systems test light is installed into a window plug, anti-collision lights are normally located on the top and bottom of the fuselage.
The CFM LEAP engines are fitted with an acoustic lining inside the engine nacelle. (Bill Read/RAeS)
- An acoustic lining inside the engine nacelle is being evaluated for its ability to reduce noise on current jet engines and inform designs for next generation ultra-high bypass models
- A fire extinguishing agent is being tested in partnership with Meggitt to replace ozone-depleting Halon 1301.
Test equipment aboard the 737 MAX ecoDemonstrator. (Bill Read/RAeS)
- The aircraft will also be conducting further operational efficiency flights in which pilots, air traffic controllers and an airline’s operations centre share digital information. The flight across the Atlantic to Glasgow was used to trial a new safer communication system featuring text-based communication between ATC and pilots, with the aim of increasing the clarity of transmissions.
- Identifying ways in which commercial airliners can be used to measure greenhouse gas emissions to assist help the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration improve its climate modelling and long-term forecasting.
Once the project is concluded, the 737 MAX ecoDemonstrator will enter service with Alaska Airways in 2022. (Bill Read/RAeS)
Boeing and Alaska Airlines also took the opportunity of the visit to bring along a number of key executives to speak at a series of events, including President of Boeing Europe and Managing Director of Boeing UK and Ireland Sir Martin Donnelly and Alaska Airlines Vice President of Public Affairs & Sustainability, Diana Birkett Rakow. Donnelly spoke about Boeing’s connections with Scotland and Europe while Rakow explained Alaska Airlines’ plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.