APiJET, a Seattle-based aviation data analytics company, recently received a $4.5 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration for their fuel-saving software called Digital Winglets. This tool helps passenger and cargo airlines optimize their fuel use while flying at cruising altitudes by incorporating real-time data including wind, weather, speed, weight of the plane, air traffic, and other parameters, along with details of the Aircraft Performance Model of the plane. The software analyzes this data and suggests flight plan changes such as adjusting altitude, speed, or route, leading to approximately 1.5% fuel savings for passenger flights and 2.5% for cargo flights.
The funding from the FAA will allow APiJET to expand the reach of their software by developing Aircraft Performance Models for additional aircraft types. Digital Winglets is based on flight optimization algorithms developed by NASA, known as Traffic Aware Strategic Aircrew Requests (TASAR), which the company has been licensed to use since 2019. The tool operates in remote servers in the cloud, analyzing flight plans and communicating suggested changes first to dispatchers and then to pilots. Pilots can then decide whether to implement the recommended changes by submitting a request to air traffic controllers.
APiJET’s Digital Winglets software features an easy-to-use interface that requires minimal training for users, making it a valuable tool for airlines looking to save costs and reduce their carbon footprint. The system is highly adaptable and can incorporate additional data such as national airspace regulations and flight restrictions to optimize routes and reduce fuel consumption. The company is also working on implementing the software through a third-party application and sending recommendations directly to pilots based on the airline’s preference.
Other companies offering aviation sustainability software include Air Space Intelligence, Honeywell Forge, GE Digital, OpenAirlines, and PACE Aerospace Engineering and Information Technology. APiJET was formed in 2018 following the merger of Aviation Partners and iJET Technologies, bringing together experts from Boeing, Microsoft, and other tech ventures to focus on aviation sustainability. In 2020, private equity firm Indigo Partners acquired a majority stake in APiJET, while the original companies remain minority investors.
The FAA’s Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition program allocated $36 million to Washington state companies, including APiJET, as well as bp America Cherry Point Refinery for producing sustainable aviation fuel from biomass feedstock, hydrogen-electric aircraft startup ZeroAvia, and Boeing for a program related to measuring fuel amounts in airplane tanks. APiJET is currently conducting field tests of Digital Winglets with Frontier Airlines, and the company plans to conduct more trials and begin selling the product in the near future, as the demand for aviation fuel-saving solutions increases due to economic and environmental pressures.
