An EU initiative developed recommendations to enhance research into new aircraft technologies that are compatible with retrofitting of the existing fleet. Long-service lifetimes highlight the critical importance of such technologies.
The aerospace sector is confronted with increasingly stringent regulations regarding emissions, noise and security, combined with increasing passenger demands for comfort and safety. Although numerous technical advances in aircraft design are on the horizon, the long-service life of existing aircraft highlights the need to ensure that improved technologies are in keeping with retrofit of the existing fleet of commercial aircraft. The EU-funded RETROFIT (Reduced emissions of transport aircraft operations by fleetwise implementation of new technology) project addressed this critical need.
Further details: In-depth analysis of the benefits of retrofitting new technical solutions for existing aircraft