Thales to lead DECOR research project to test solutions for lowering the environmental impact of flight operations

• Working together to reduce the environmental impact of flight operations, the stakeholders in the air transport industry are committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
• The French air transport industry, with the support of the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), is mobilising to develop solutions that will reduce its environmental footprint in the short term.
• Led by Thales, the DECOR* project brings together ten key players to carry out large-scale demonstrations of digital solutions designed to facilitate ground/air collaboration to reduce the environmental impact of flight operations without compromising safety.

The air transport industry has put in place a far-reaching plan to eliminate carbon emissions and achieve net zero by 2050. To support this environmental transformation in France, the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) has launched the DECOR project, with funding from the France 2030 investment plan, to demonstrate eco-friendly flight operations.

Thales is leading the project, working in partnership with Airbus, Air France, Amelia, Atmosphere, CERFACS, CGX AERO, FRACS and ONERA, and sponsored by DSNA and supported by EUROCONTROL. The innovative DECOR project aims to develop and optimise new digital solutions by 2025 to reduce the environmental footprint of the air transport industry thanks to flight path optimisation and more efficient air traffic flow management.

Building on the Green Flag concept developed as part of the Provert study and on the results of the first two test flights conducted by the Octavie** project (supported by the Occitanie region), DECOR deploys the concept at scale by providing digital solutions that will enable air navigation service providers on the ground and pilots in the air to optimise flight paths and thereby reduce CO₂ emissions and non-CO₂-related effects. The project also benefits from Thales’s expertise in sustainable flight operations.

A range of simulation and decision-support solutions makes it easier for aircraft operators (dispatch and pilots), air navigation service providers (flow managers and controllers) to work together to implement lower-impact routes including the necessary network assessment. Tests are performed on several dozen regional and long-haul flights, paving the way for the avionics and air traffic management systems needed to reduce environmental impacts in the future.

See the press release