The ecoDemonstrator 2023 edition...

Boeing is expanding its ecoDemonstrator flight test program in an effort to accelerate its innovation capabilities in the areas of sustainability and safety. The aircraft manufacturer today announced its 2023 plan under which 19 technologies will be evaluated on the Boeing 777 ecoDemonstrator, as well as the addition of " Explorer " aircraft that will be tasked with testing specific technologies.

...A Triple-Seven and Dreamliner Explorer 

The first ecoDemonstrator Explorer airplane, a 787-10 Dreamliner, will conduct flight tests in June from Seattle to Tokyo, Singapore and Bangkok to demonstrate how navigation coordination in international airspace can improve operational efficiency, resulting in up to a 10 percent reduction in fuel burn and emissions per aircraft. Using currently available onboard capabilities, Boeing and air navigation service providers (ANSPs - Air Navigation Service Providers) operating in the U.S., Japan, Singapore and Thailand will collectively calculate the aircraft's route scheduling to define the optimal flight path between multiple regions, taking into account parameters such as weather conditions, air traffic and certain airspace closures. The aircraft will use the blend with the highest sustainable aviation fuel (SAF - Sustainable Aviation Fuel) rating available at each site.

19 technologies tested in flight 

In 2023, Boeing will also use the current flagship airplane of its ecoDemonstrator program, an extended-range 777-200ER, to test 19 technologies, including : sustainable cargo wall partitions made of 40 % recycled carbon fiber and 60 % resins from a biobased feedstock; a fiber optic level sensor compatible with 100 % sustainable fuels ; an electronic flight bag (EFB) application including Smart Airport Maps, a module of the Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro application that reduces operating costs and promotes safe taxiing by representing airport contextual data. Finally, for all flight tests, the airplane will use the blend with the highest sustainable fuel rate available locally.

A program renewed every year since 2012 

Since its first flights in 2012, the Boeing ecoDemonstrator program has helped accelerate innovation by testing laboratory-developed technologies in an operational environment. Including Plan 2023, this program will have tested approximately 250 technologies to help decarbonize aviation, improve operational efficiency and enhance aviation safety while improving and passenger flight experience. Approximately one-third of the technologies tested in this program have subsequently been integrated into Boeing products and services.