Etihad and Boeing launch sustainable Dreamliner test flights – The National

Etihad and Boeing launch sustainable Dreamliner test flights – The National

The Abu Dhabi airline commits to eco test-flights despite the coronavirus pandemic





























Etihad Airways and Boeing have extended their partnership on sustainability-focused ecoDemonstrator programme. Courtesy Etihad











Etihad Airways and Boeing will use a brand new 787-10 Dreamliner to test various methods of sustainable flying.



The news was announced on the first day of FIA Connect, the virtual event replacing the Farnborough International Airshow 2020, which was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.



The move highlights Etihad's commitment to sustainable flight, something that the UAE's national airline does not intend to renege on, despite the Covid-19 crisis.



This is the seventh iteration of Boeing's ecoDemonstrator programme, which uses commercial aircraft to test innovative technologies in the air.



Ahead of putting its newest Dreamliner into service, Etihad will work with Boeing to use the jet as a test bed for technologies that can help reduce fuel consumption, noise pollution and CO2 emissions. It's the next step in a strategic partnership that the two companies first announced at the Dubai Airshow last year, in a bid to improve airspace efficiency, reduce fuel use and cut aviation