TUI partners with Boeing on ecoDemonstrator
The programme aims to accelerate creation and production of sustainable technologies for aircraft, working with the industry and suppliers to champion innovation in aviation. The ecoDemonstrator programme endeavours to engage with policy makers throughout the journey, thereby promoting wider adoption of sustainable technologies.
The Boeing 757 that has been selected for the programme will spend the next year being fitted with a selection of innovative technologies and begin technical validation and operational testing in 2015. Also in 2015, the ecoDemonstrator 757 Flight Test Airplane will visit a number of cities in Europe to showcase the new environmental technologies. At the end of the development programme the businesses will test a recycling method for improving recovery and reuse of the aircraft’s materials.
The move is the latest in a historically strong relationship between Boeing and TUI Travel, who earlier this month announced plans to purchase two more Dreamliners - taking their total commitment to 15 of Boeing’s newest aircraft. This year has also seen TUI Travel commit to purchasing 60 – with the option and right to purchase up to an additional 90 - Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. In addition to this, TUI Travel will retro-fit their Boeing B737 NG aircraft with Aviation Partners Boeing new Split- Scimitar winglets, with modified aircraft flying from March 2014. TUI Travel’s Sustainable Holidays Plan outlines a pledge to operate Europe’s most fuel efficient airlines, and these commitments with Boeing will all contribute considerably to this goal.
Johan Lundgren, deputy chief executive of TUI Travel, said: "The ecoDemonstrator programme sets a benchmark in research and development- it has the potential to drive meaningful change in the industry and we look forward to being a part of the programme. TUI Travel is committed to sustainability and this initiative gives us the opportunity to demonstrate our leadership in this space. It is a fantastic example of innovation which plays a significant role in mapping out the future of air travel, not just for Boeing and TUI Travel, but for the industry as a whole."
"Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator programme provides opportunities to accelerate new technologies that have a real environmental benefit to the industry," said Jeanne Yu, director of Environmental Performance, Product Development for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "This agreement with TUI Travel reflects our shared commitment and leadership to improving commercial aviation’s environmental performance and sustainability."
