- The Future Air Navigation System-C (FANS-C), developed by Airbus, enables the sharing of predicted trajectories between the aircraft and air traffic control (ATC), providing pilots and ATC with more accurate information to optimise airspace efficiency.
- FANS-C shares the aircraft’s trajectory in real time in four dimensions (3D space + time) between the cabin and ATC. This enables more efficient route calculations, helping to reduce fuel consumption and delays by making traffic flows more fluid and less congested on high-density routes.
- Already implemented across easyJet’s entire A320neo and A321neo fleet, this technology is estimated to lead to significant reductions in fuel and noise emissions, having already saved 334 tons of fuel and avoided 1,052 tons of CO2e.
- Following the completion of the retrofit, easyJet now has the largest fleet equipped with FANS-C technology in the world.
easyJet has now completed the installation of FANS-C on 54 of its A320 and A321neo family aircraft. New aircraft coming off the Airbus final assembly line are equipped with this cutting-edge technology as standard.
FANS-C is essentially air traffic management software that enables more seamless collaboration between pilots and air traffic controllers, speeding up communication, optimising flight paths, and facilitating aircraft speed management throughout all phases of flight.
With European airspace becoming increasingly congested, delays have become common. FANS-C responds to this challenge by transmitting accurate aircraft trajectories to ATC (Air Traffic Control) flexibly, reliably, and safely, improving predictability, reducing hold times, expediting clearances, and enabling more on-time landings.
Regarding this milestone, David Morgan, Chief Operating Officer of easyJet, stated:
“Technologies like FANS-C are not only essential for airspace modernisation, they will be crucial to achieving real reductions in fuel consumption, carbon emissions, and noise pollution.
To maximise the potential of these technologies, it is crucial that airspace reform finally moves forward. This means enabling more direct routes to reduce congestion and delays. The UK government has already taken positive steps in reconfiguring UK airspace – now we need these plans to be implemented quickly, both nationally and across Europe, so we can fully leverage these technologies and the environmental benefits they provide.”
Since its implementation in 2019, FANS-C has already enabled easyJet to avoid 1,052 tons of CO2e emissions and save 334 tons of fuel, with gains recorded in Eurocontrol’s Maastricht Upper Area Control (MUAC) zone. These savings are expected to increase as other air navigation service providers upgrade their ground control systems, which will be mandatory in the EU by 2028.
Since launching its plan to reduce and decarbonise its environmental impact in 2022, easyJet has continually invested in operational efficiencies to lessen its impact both in the air and on the ground.
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