EasyJet To Trial Hybrid Plane Technology

E nergy captured as the brakes are deployed during landing would then power the jet when it is on the ground, similar to the kinetic energy recovery system used in Formula One.

The only waste product of the system is fresh clean water which could be used to refill the aircraft’s water system throughout the flight.

EasyJet said the hybrid system being trailed later this year could save around 50,000 tonnes of fuel every year.

To give some more recent examples, NASA said that it was putting a lot of its resources towards building hybrid commercial aircraft by testing a design that would place an electric engine at the rear of the plane to work in tandem with the traditional jet engines.

“I think there’s loads more for us to do”, Dame Carolyn said, adding she would only think about what to do next when she “couldn’t add any more value” to easyJet.

EasyJet’s pilots would also have total control of the aircraft speed, direction and breaking during taxiing, thanks to a combination of power electronic systems and power motors in the aircraft’s main wheels, meaning there would be no need for tugs to maneuver the aircraft around the runway.

The concept would involve storing a hydrogen fuel cell in the aircraft’s hold to convert hydrogen into electricity, and the plane could be trialled as soon as this year.

The concept has been developed by easyJet’s award winning engineering director Ian Davies and his team working with some of the ideas from students combined with easyJet’s own conceptual thinking.

Cranfield University aeronautics lecturer Craig Lawson said: “Our students have showcased some exciting ideas for the 2035 vision of the airline industry through The Future of Flight competition, presenting environmental solutions, operational improvements and ideas to enhance the customer experience”.

“It’s also a great example of the benefits of our strategic relationship with Cranfield University”.

“We’re banking on a three- to five-year proof of concept, and after that hopefully we can persuade mainstream manufacturers to adopt it in the next five to 15 years”, he says.

easyJet has a fleet of more than 200 Airbus A319s and A320s.

EasyJet hopes to launch the hybrid plane within the next decade.