Airbus Completes North Atlantic Trials Validating Fello’fly Rendezvous
The tests confirmed an operational pairing workflow positioning the program for future wake‑following fuel‑saving flights.
Overview
- Eight trial flights in September and October 2025 paired aircraft over the North Atlantic under the SESAR GEESE project.
- Crews executed a four-step process using the Pairing Assistance Tool, dispatcher and ATC review, a route change, and a cockpit rendezvous function.
- The teams demonstrated precise meet‑ups at a set point and time while maintaining vertical separation and regulatory compliance.
- Airbus said commercial wake energy retrieval has not yet been flown, with potential long‑haul fuel savings of up to about 5% once operational.
- Air France, Delta, French bee, Virgin Atlantic and ATC partners AirNav Ireland, DSNA, EUROCONTROL and NATS coordinated via the EUROCONTROL Innovation Hub.