Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) leads an international multidisciplinary consortium, called ZENITIA, which will develop scientific tools and models to safely and efficiently integrate next-generation aircraft and sustainable fuels into European air transport.
“ZENITIA (Zero-Emission Next-Gen Innovation and Technology Integration for Aviation) addresses a central challenge for future aviation: how to ensure that next-generation aircraft and fuels deliver measurable climate benefits while remaining safe, efficient and manageable across airports and airspace,” notes Abolfazl Simorgh, project coordinator and professor in UC3M's Aerospace Engineering Department. “By connecting environmental science with gate-to-gate operations and AI-enabled scenario analysis, we aim to turn today’s uncertainty into evidence that stakeholders can use.”
For his part, Eduardo Carrillo de Albornoz, Managing Director of Boeing Global Technology-Europe, highlights the industrial contribution: “Boeing Aerospace Spain’s Global Technology division will contribute to the ZENITIA project with OEM performance data to evaluate the fidelity of the models developed for kerosene-powered aircraft. Together with Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and consortium partners, we look forward to moving the dial on next-generation aircraft technology.”
By 2050, European air traffic is projected to increase by more than 50% compared with 2023 data. To respond to this growth without compromising global climate targets, it is essential to base regulatory and infrastructure decisions on scientific evidence, according to the project's researchers. To date, critical gaps persist in the detailed characterization of evolutionary and revolutionary aircraft (payload and range limitations, flight profiles, and wake behavior), as well as in the impact of non-CO₂ emissions and the operational implications of operating mixed fleets.
Three key solutions to transform aviation management
ZENITIA will develop three integrated solutions designed to transform climate science into practical operational tools for the aviation sector:
The ZENITIA project consortium consists of nine top-tier organizations from academia, industry, and air traffic management: UC3M (Spain), Boeing Aerospace Spain (Spain), Boeing Deutschland GmbH (Germany), Estuaire SAS (France), Future Needs Management Consulting Ltd. (Cyprus), Imperial College London (United Kingdom), International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations - IFATCA (Canada), Technische Universiteit Delft (Netherlands), and University of Cambridge (United Kingdom). This 30-month initiative, which has just held its kick-off meeting, is developed within the framework of the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program (GA 101289124). More information: zenitia.eu
Computational simulation/modeling
Not applicable