Boeing-COMAC Technology Center to support efficient Air Traffic Management

Boeing and Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) announced today that the Boeing-COMAC Aviation Energy Conservation and Emissions Reductions Technology Center will conduct two new research projects on air traffic management to support the long-term efficiency, capacity and safety of China’s air traffic system.“Combining our two companies’ efforts on air traffic management through our Joint Technology Center is a natural step forward in our steadily expanding collaboration,” said Marc Allen, president of Boeing China.

The Boeing-COMAC Technology Center, the companies’ collaborative effort to support commercial aviation industry growth, will work with Civil Aviation University of China (CAUC) to forecast the 30-year capacity of China’s national airspace system. This research will develop evaluation tools to predict trends of future airspace development and provide recommendations for improving the national airspace system. CAUC is administered by the Civil Aviation Administration of China and hosts the National Key Laboratory of Operation Safety Technology.

“With the increasing demand for air transport and growing environmental concerns, air traffic management plays a key role in the healthy growth of air transport capability,” said Dr. Guangqiu Wang, vice president of COMAC’s Beijing Aeronautical Science and Technology Research Institute (BASTRI). “It is our great pleasure to cooperate with Boeing to work on air traffic management initiatives for greater energy efficiency and emission reduction.”

The Boeing-COMAC Technology Center will also work with Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, which hosts the National Key Laboratory of Air Traffic Flow Management Technology, on development of an air traffic decision support system to optimize in-bound air traffic flow at airports. Successful outcomes from this project will help air traffic controllers determine the most efficient arrival sequences and enhance flight safety by providing better situational awareness.

“We are very pleased to work with COMAC to support the long-term efficiency of China’s commercial aviation system and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Dr. Dong Yang Wu, vice president of Boeing Research & Technology - China. “The Boeing-COMAC Technology Center continues to partner with wop’rld-class research capabilities in China to support commercial aviation’s growth while reducing its environmental footprint.”

The Boeing-COMAC Technology Center previously announced research to identify contaminants in waste cooking oil, which is sometimes called “gutter oil” in China, and processes that may treat and clean it for use as jet fuel. Funded by both companies and located in COMAC’s BASTRI, the Boeing-COMAC Technology Center is working with China-based universities and research institutions to expand knowledge in areas such as sustainable aviation biofuels and air traffic management that improve commercial aviation’s efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

China is one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets. The Civil Aviation Administration of China has reported that passenger traffic reached 319 million in 2012 and forecasts that it will reach 1.5 billion passengers in 2030. Boeing has estimated that Chinese airlines will need to buy 5,260 new commercial airplanes by 2031 to meet this extraordinary demand.