Innovation, technology development & cost efficiency

The industry-wide quest to optimize aircraft performance, decrease operating and maintenance costs, increase dispatch reliability, and reduce gas emissions – these challenges underscore the aircraft industry's renewed push toward the concept of a hybrid electric powered or more electric aircraft (MEA), and ultimately an all electric aircraft. Specifically, the MEA concept provides for the utilization of electric power for all non-propulsive systems. Traditionally these non-propulsive systems are driven by a combination of different secondary power sources such as hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical and electrical. Recent technological advances in the field of power electronics, fault-tolerant architecture, electro-hydrostatic actuators, flight control systems, high density electric motors, power generation and conversion systems have defined the era of the MEA. This electrification trend is accelerating, as aircraft OEMs collaborate with their suppliers to design new systems and implement new power dense electrically-intensive architectures. Adoption of the MEA concept is seen as a critical enabler for the aircraft industry to drive value and unlock significant improvements in terms of aircraft weight, fuel consumption, total life cycle costs, carbon neutrality, maintainability and aircraft reliability. » Learn More