skeyes and Brussels Airport are working together on a new landing procedure that can reduce environmental footprint of aviation. The work is being carried out within the framework of HERON, a Digital European Demonstrator launched in 2022.
Brussels Airport and skeyes are investing together in research to develop new landing procedures that can improve the local environmental quality. The research that will be conducted by skeyes and Brussels Airport, with the support of Eurocontrol, is one of the components of HERON, a SESAR 3 JU Digital Sky Demonstrator led by Airbus. Co-funded by European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) will analyse whether landings with steeper descent gradients have an advantage in terms of reducing the local noise impact, as well as CO2 emissions and fuel consumption.
HERON aims to carry out a series of ambitious developments and tests to reduce noise, flight delays, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions from air transport by proposing reduction measures, including more efficient flight operations. HERON includes 26 partners from 11 countries and will be supported by 6 airlines, 8 Air Navigation Service providers and 5 airports from all across Europe.
skeyes and Brussels Airport Company will contribute to the project by validating operational flight demonstrations of green approaches by introducing increased second glide slopes (ISGS) on two runways (I.e. Approaches at a descent angle of 3.2 - 3.5 degrees instead of 3.0 degrees, see figure below). ISGS is an operational solution validated in the SESAR programme and aims to provide benefits in terms of noise impact and, to a lesser extent, fuel consumption. This will be the first time it will be tested in a fully operational environment.
skeyes and Brussels Airport, as well as TUI fly, DHL and Brussels Airlines, who have expressed their explicit support to the project, met for the first time at skeyes for the kick-off of the project and to define the schedule for the real-life demonstrations at Brussels Airport. These demonstrations will take place in 2024.
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