New Delhi: After doing everything humanly possible to reduce fuel consumption, Indian airlines have turned to artificial intelligence (AI) to help save the extremely expensive black gold. IndiGo has asked its pilots to save fuel at the time when the aircraft feels most thirsty – climbs that are performed at full power (the equivalent of flooring a car on the gas pedal) – by opting for the “Opticlimb solution” starting from Thursday on a trial basis on its Airbus fleet.In simple terms, instead of flying at a constant speed, they will fly at varying speeds wherever possible. The airline aims to save 60-65 kg per flight by using this AI solution. Multiplied by its 2,000-odd flights, the savings can be impressive, even if only half of them use it. Burning less fuel also means less emissions. Depending on the outcome of the test period flights, the airline will decide on making it a regular feature across its Airbus fleet.A mail sent to nearly 6,000 pilots on Wednesday night by Captain Ashim Mitra, senior vice president (flight operations), IndiGo, said, “For the past several months, we have been working closely with SITA (the world’s leading flight operations solutions provider) on the implementation of their OptiClimb solution (which is an AI-powered flight optimization solution) that helps pilots reduce fuel burn and carbon emissions during the energy-intensive climb phase of the flight.” Helps.”The mail states, “The climb phase is typically responsible for the highest rate of fuel consumption during any given flight… Recent advances in aircraft performance analysis have enabled more sophisticated climb optimization techniques… By considering actual aircraft performance, planned take-off weight, cruise altitude and prevailing atmospheric conditions, OptiClimb enables more efficient climb profiles, providing measurable reductions in fuel consumption and associated carbon emissions while maintaining the highest standards of operational safety and regulatory compliance.” Is.”In contemporary times, fuel saving has become a necessity since the 2008 subprime crisis, when the global economy was slowing down amid rising energy prices. At that time, airlines had made the planes lighter by removing unnecessary things like curtains, partitions and carrying less water. Over time, more fuel efficient engines were developed. The next generation of fuel efficient aircraft using a completely different engine architecture is in the works, but is at least a decade away, if not more. Until they become reality, AI could help airlines save some fuel.“The primary objective of this (Opticlimb) initiative is to increase fuel efficiency, reduce our carbon footprint and strengthen operational sustainability while ensuring full compliance with air traffic control (ATC) requirements and safe operating practices. As airlines around the world continue to focus on operational excellence and environmental stewardship, the adoption of data-driven solutions like Opticlimb shows how advanced analytics can provide incremental efficiencies beyond what is achievable through traditional flight management system (FMS) optimization. Can unlock efficiencies alone,” adds Captain Mitra’s email.
