Airbus has announced the successful completion of a new phase of testing for its fello’fly project, conducted with Air France, Delta Air Lines, French bee, and Virgin Atlantic, and with operational support from AirNav Ireland, DSNA, EUROCONTROL, and NATS.
Eight flights were conducted over the North Atlantic between September and October 2025 as part of the GEESE project.
The aim of this test was to demonstrate the feasibility of a rendezvous between two aircraft and the adoption of a relative position that would allow for wake energy recovery while remaining compliant with regulations. According to Airbus, once operational, this technique could lead to fuel savings on long-haul flights.
The concept is inspired by the flight of migratory geese, which fly in a V formation to take advantage of changes in airflow.
Similarly, an aircraft positioned approximately 3km behind the one in front of it could benefit from the lift generated by the other aircraft. Fello’fly therefore involves coordinating two flights so that the second benefits from the lift created by the first.
A four-step process was validated in 2025: first, the Pairing Assistance Tool (PAT) calculates adjusted trajectories and shared rendezvous procedure instructions in real time.
Airlines, crews, and air traffic control then assess the operational feasibility of this proposal. One of the two flights is then asked to alter its route to rendezvous with the other.
Finally, both crews activate a cockpit function that initiates arrival at the predetermined time at the rendezvous point.
The resulting promise of energy efficiency therefore requires precise coordination between operational centers, controllers, and crews.
This successful scheduling of a “rendezvous” is thus presented as a crucial step before any potential efficiency gains: without a proven ability to guide two aircraft to a point at a given time while maintaining vertical separation, the use of wake energy recovery would remain theoretical.
The partners suggest potential savings of up to 5% on long-haul flights, which, at fleet level, would represent a significant lever for reducing fuel consumption and, consequently, emissions.
The use of fello’fly in commercial conditions has not yet been tested for the energy recovery phase itself, which calls for caution, admits Airbus, regarding the timing and extent of the benefits.
