PROJECT ID

STEPLESS

PROJECT TYPE

Exploratory research

FLAGSHIP

Aviation green deal

STATUS

Ongoing

SESAR PROGRAMME

Digital European Sky

PROJECT DURATION

2024-09-01 > 2027-02-28

TOTAL COST

€ 1 999 605,50

EU CONTR.

€ 1 999 605,50

GRANT ID

101166837

PARTICIPANTS

Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt, Stichting Koninklijk Nederlands Lucht - En Ruimtevaartcentrum, Swiss Skylab Foundation, Thales Avs France , Universitat Politecnica De Catalunya, L - UP SAS

The project aims to minimise the flight environmental footprint during final approach under operations with conventional and increased glideslope angles (IGS). IGS is intended to reduce the noise perception on ground by a higher flight altitude. Steeper approach angles however, also reduce the aircraft's capability to decelerate to final approach speed. Therefore, the risk occurs that pilots are forced to configure the aircraft too early, which can have deteriorating effects on noise and fuel consumption. The proposed solution enables the increase of the glideslope angle for the sake of the reduction of the noise perception on ground but by avoiding deteriorating effects on fuel consumption because of non-optimal high-lift configurations. It is predicted to bring operational improvements to the flow of arriving traffic as well as to provide greater fuel efficiency and environmental sustainability together with a further reduced noise perception on ground and even slight capacity gains through the avoidance of drawbacks in the energy management of approaching aircraft because of a steeper glidepath.

European Union
Stepless High-Lift Configurations for Optimised Aircraft Energy Management in the TMA - STEPLESS Steeper approaches glidepath angle ATC IGS