Barcelona, October 24, 2024 – Volotea, the airline connecting small and medium-sized European cities, and Airbus have signed an agreement today in Barcelona at MRO Europe, the industry's leading aviation maintenance fair. This agreement builds on the airline's previous implementation of Descent Profile Optimization (DPO), an innovative system developed by Airbus that has been fully integrated across Volotea's fleet of 44 Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft to optimize fuel consumption and reduce carbon emissions. The new agreement includes Skywise, a predictive maintenance system that improves fleet reliability, and is part of a broader collaboration to provide Volotea with a range of additional digital solutions from Airbus Services.

Volotea began installing the DPO system in its fleet in 2019, which uses advanced algorithms to refine aircraft descent profiles and optimize speed margins and flight trajectories. This method enables aircraft to consume less fuel during descent and sustain longer cruising levels, effectively reducing operating costs and minimizing environmental impact by lowering direct CO2 emissions.

DPO, an option of the Flight Management and Guidance Computer (FMGC), allows commanders to decrease fuel consumption by optimizing idle and approach speed margins. This technology has enabled the airline to save up to 958 tons of CO2 since implementation began in 2019 and is projected to save more than 2,000 additional tons until 2030.

According to Eduard Diviu, Chief Operating Officer at Volotea: “Since our inception in 2012, we have initiated over 50 projects that have significantly reduced our fuel consumption and, consequently, our direct carbon emissions. Among these, optimizing all flight phases has notably enhanced the performance and efficiency of our aircraft. The collaboration with Airbus is key to advancing the aviation sector’s common ambition of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

Delphine Gianoglio, Head of Airbus Commercial Services Europe, adds: “We actively support our customers to achieve their decarbonization goals. In that endeavor, Volotea and Airbus will work together to ensure that every future aircraft joining the Volotea fleet is equipped with DPO."

Volotea initiated the integration of the Descent Profile Optimization (DPO) system into its fleet in 2019, starting with fifteen A319 aircraft. This expansion continued in 2020 with updates to five additional A319s, and in 2023, twenty-one A320s were outfitted with the technology. By April 2024, the three newest aircraft added to the fleet also featured the integrated system. As a result, DPO is now fully operational across all Volotea aircraft. Furthermore, under a long-term agreement with Airbus, any future aircraft joining the fleet will be equipped with DPO upon service entry.

Originally targeting a 50% reduction in direct CO2 emissions per passenger-kilometer by 2030, Volotea, with progress audited and confirmed by Bureau Veritas—an independent international certification agency—is now on track to achieve this goal by 2025.

Volotea's dedication to sustainable aviation and its Voloterra program were honored at the 2023 Norns Awards—an international award that celebrates innovators and change agents shaping the future of their industries—where it received the accolade of leading "Low-Cost Sustainable Aviation Company.”

Skywise: Predictive Maintenance Solution

In addition to fully integrating the DPO system earlier this year, Volotea began trialing Airbus' Skywise Predictive Maintenance + (S.PM+) solution. By analyzing data from aircraft sensors, S.PM+ identifies abnormal patterns and predicts potential component failures before they happen. This proactive approach helps airlines mitigate Aircraft on Ground (AOG) incidents and reduces maintenance unpredictability, leading to more efficient operations. For Volotea, this means optimizing maintenance costs, improving aircraft availability, and enhancing the overall passenger experience through more reliable scheduling.

Diviu, continues: “The collaboration between Volotea and Airbus is comprehensive, and we are gradually incorporating new services that help us improve our operations. We are committed to integrating advanced solutions that keep our fleet updated, and thanks to Airbus' services, our commitment to safety— an absolute priority—and sustainability is further strengthened. Skywise allows us to identify and anticipate potential technical issues to avoid impacting our flight schedule and continue providing our passengers with the best service. We are pleased to have formalized its integration into our fleet, marking another important step in our partnership with Airbus.”

Airbus is a key supplier to Volotea, providing a wide range of aircraft services. As a '100% Services' customer, Volotea benefits from a comprehensive, cross-services approach that further strengthens the partnership between the two companies. This mutually beneficial collaboration.

ABOUT VOLOTEA

Volotea was founded in 2011 by Carlos Muñoz and Lázaro Ros, also previously founders of Vueling. It is one of the fastest-growing independent airlines in Europe in the last decade, increasing its fleet, routes served, and seats offered year-on-year. This year, the airline celebrated a milestone of carrying 60 million passengers throughout its network.

Volotea reaches 110 airports and is based in 21 medium-sized European capitals: Asturias, Athens, Bari (new for 2024), Bilbao, Bordeaux, Brest (new for 2024), Florence, Hamburg, Lille, Lyon, Lourdes, Marseille, Nantes, Naples, Olbia, Palermo, Rodez (new for 2024), Strasbourg, Toulouse, Venice, and Verona.

This year, Volotea will operate nearly 450 routes (with over half exclusive), offer between 12.5M and 13M seats (+12% to +16% versus 2023), and fly approximately 80,000 flights. The airline operates a fleet of 44 Airbus A319 and A320.

Volotea is working towards achieving a more sustainable future in aviation. The airline is set to achieve its target of reducing direct CO2 emissions per passenger-kilometer by 50% by 2025, five years ahead of the initial schedule. To date, Volotea has launched over 50 sustainability initiatives that have already driven a reduction in carbon footprint per passenger and kilometer by more than 45%. Since 2022, the company has been working on developing emission-free alternative technologies, operating Airbus' internal shuttle service with 34% sustainable aviation fuel and collaborating with manufacturers and the industry so that these fuels (now difficult to access) can be developed and become widespread as soon as possible. 

Volotea, with a projected workforce of approximately 2,060 employees this year, actively boosts connectivity within the territories where it is based while contributing to their economic development and enriching the cultural landscape through impactful sponsorship projects.

Volotea was awarded a four-star rating in 2024 and recognized by Skytrax in its global passenger satisfaction survey as the “Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe” at the 2023 and 2024 World Airline Awards, referred to by media worldwide as “the Oscars of the aviation industry.” The airline adds this accolade to its growing list of achievements, which includes consecutive wins for "Europe’s Leading Low-Cost Airline" at the World Travel Awards in 2021, 2022, and 2024.

For more information visit: https://www.volotea.com/en/press-room/ 
press@volotea.com
Tel: 93 117 17 77

 

 

 

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