Boeing said Thursday it will partner with Lufthansa and Rolls-Royce to conduct flight tests of new technologies aimed at improving fuel efficiency and reducing aircraft noise, as part of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) programme.

In a press release, the U.S. aerospace manufacturer said the tests will begin later this month at its facility in Glasgow, Montana, using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner serving as the company's 2026 ecoDemonstrator Explorer flying test bed. The aircraft, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, is scheduled for delivery to Lufthansa after the testing campaign, which is expected to continue through mid-August.

The programme will evaluate two key innovations: a Next Generation Inlet designed to improve engine efficiency while reducing weight, drag and noise, and modified departure and arrival flight procedures known as Intelligent Operations flight paths, which use advanced algorithms and multiple data sources to optimise aircraft routing for lower fuel consumption and reduced community noise around airports.

According to Boeing, the shortened engine inlet incorporates advanced acoustic treatments that could enable the integration of more fuel-efficient engines on future aircraft while maintaining noise performance. The Intelligent Operations concept is intended to identify flight paths that improve operational efficiency without compromising safety.

"Boeing works tirelessly to deliver the aerospace innovations of today and tomorrow," said Lane Ballard, the company's Chief Technology Officer.

"The more efficient inlet and Intelligent Operations flight paths we're evaluating on this year's ecoDemonstrator Explorer are among the many promising concepts we're working on. These enhancements have the potential to make our airplanes even more valuable to our partners, including customers like Lufthansa and suppliers like Rolls-Royce," he said.

Lufthansa Group Chief Technology Officer Grazia Vittadini said the programme reflects the long-standing partnership between the airline and Boeing.

"Together, we aim to help advance aviation's transformation by testing technologies with the potential to improve fuel efficiency, reduce noise and prove their value in real-world operations," she said.

Alan Newby, Rolls-Royce's Director of Research and Technology, described the initiative as the culmination of a decade of collaboration between the companies.

"With Boeing and Lufthansa, we are building on our extensive research to test technologies in real-world conditions and see how they perform where it matters most — in service," he said.

The flight trials form part of Phase III of the FAA's CLEEN programme, a public-private partnership that supports the development of technologies aimed at improving fuel efficiency, reducing emissions and lowering aircraft noise. Julie Marks, Executive Director of the FAA's Office of Environment and Energy, said the tests demonstrate how collaboration between government and industry can accelerate the integration of advanced technologies into current and future aircraft.

Boeing launched its ecoDemonstrator programme in 2012 to evaluate emerging aerospace technologies under operational conditions. Since then, the programme has tested more than 260 technologies focused on improving safety, operational efficiency, fuel economy, emissions, noise reduction and the passenger experience.

Source: PR