Final Report Summary - FRARS (Future regional aircraft requirements study)
Project context and objectives:
The FRARS project was awarded as a result of the first CfP of the GRA programme of the CLEAN SKY JU, to the company SPIRIT S.A. The associated topic manager on the side of the CSJU GRA, responsible for monitoring the project progress, steering (as appropriate) its activities and approving its results, was Alenia Aeronautica SpA.
The project lasted 7 months in total, from 1 March 2010 to 30 September 2010, and its associated activities during this period were split into 3 consecutive work packages (WPs). The results of each of these WPs were summarised by a respective deliverable (i.e. three in total).
Overall, the FRARS project was to collect and analyse the requirements of European regional airlines from future regional aircraft, in view of the future, stricter and 'green' oriented global regulatory framework within which they will be required to operate. The FRARS project constituted the first opportunity - in the frame of the GRA ITD - for airlines to be involved in 'shaping' the future regional aircraft. The results of the FRARS project will 'feed' the research efforts of the new configurations (NC) domain (within the scope of the GRA ITD) as far as the selection of the most appropriate / viable future regional aircraft configurations, out of those examined.
Project results:
Although obviously the results, as also the conclusions, of the FRARS project are 'sensitive' and are hence protected by confidentiality clauses, they could be 'roughly' described as follows:
- A series of valuable observations / deductions with respect to the 'average' Turboprop (TP) operator, the 'average' regional jet (RJ) operator and the 'average' European regional airline. These included aspects in relation to the regional airlines' size / fleet / revenues, their current / future fleet utilisation, their modes of operation, their operational 'particularities', their business / customer and environmental policies / strategies, the 'metric' models they use when procuring new aircraft, their typical financing plan for such new aircraft, their visions / views as far as innovative technology and the future of regional aviation (e.g. TP versus RJ aircraft future markets), etc.
- The desirable (by the airlines) future TP and RJ aircraft 'outline' configurations (both average and stringent / absolute requirements were deducted).
- The 'absolute' 'weights' assigned by the 'average' TP operator, the 'average' RJ operator and the 'average' European regional airline to a large number of prominent aircraft design parameters / aspects.
- An associated methodology and toolset that (based on these 'absolute' weights) supports the decision making of an aircraft manufacturer by allowing: the rapid, straight-forward and credible 'prioritisation' of unlimited alternative aircraft configurations; the accounting of their 'technological' validity / probability; the identification of target values to be aimed for as far as critical or other design parameters; the identification of the most influential design parameters (and corresponding values of those) for a successful 'product' (aircraft). In all of these 'capabilities' offered by the approach developed during the project, the points of view of the customer (airline) -i.e. as per the developed 'aircraft requirements model' - and of the manufacturer (i.e. as per the 'inputs' to the model, e.g. as far as technological capabilities, development costs etc.) can be integrated for the most optimum / 'viable' end result.
Potential impact:
1. Socioeconomic impact
In terms of the socioeconomic impact of the FRARS project, this can be seen to take two main directions: one as far as the use of the FRARS results by the NC domain of the CLEAN SKY GRA ITD and another as far as the future utilisation of the experience gained by the FRARS consortium during the course of the project.
Regarding the former, the conclusions reached by the project and the associated methodology, toolset and 'outline' future TP and RJ aircraft configurations provided will enable the NC domain to consolidate and prioritise the alternative aircraft configurations considered so far and to take the 'customers' views into account during this process. Thus, the resultant aircraft configurations are expected to be, not only 'greener', but also highly 'competitive' since they will closely reflect the end customers' 'desires' and priorities.
As far as the latter, the experience of a small Greek company working closely and fruitfully with a prominent aircraft manufacturer of the likes of Alenia Aeronautica, is invaluable. This on the one hand will allow the future 'cultivation' of the associated business contacts with the aim to possibly create further prospective business opportunities, whereas on the other will allow the future utilisation / application (or even the internal (to the company) transfer) of the knowledge, know-how and involved methodologies, to analogous business opportunities, in the same or other adjacent scientific fields.
2. Societal implications of the project
In the FRARS project 50 % of the personnel involved were females of a higher academic education and professional experience. Although these women were highly qualified and with considerable experience in the IT sector, their involvement in FRARS presented them a rare opportunity to both familiarise themselves and gain valuable knowledge with respect to the aviation / aeronautics field. The majority of the tasks they were assigned to were of a 'business' character (e.g. in relation to the survey's materials, contacts and data analysis); nevertheless, during the course of the project unavoidably related scientific / technical knowledge and know-how was transferred to them. This knowledge and know-how gained by them during FRARS will be invaluable both for the company in its long-term business opportunities pursuits as also to them -as individuals- in their professional careers, whether at this company or any other future ones.
In terms of 'ethics', the only issue of concern in FRARS and to which particular attention was paid, was the 'sensitive' airline operational and strategic data that the project dealt with. This data was protected - and shall continue to be - by confidentiality clauses as its disclosure would potentially harm the respective airlines' image, competitiveness and smooth operation. As a direct consequence, all deliverables of the project were classed as confidential and their disclosure was possible only to the CSJU (that in effect has 'procured' this study), as well as to the respective airlines, only as far as their own or 'generic' processed data / results were concerned. The aforementioned issue of the confidentiality of the FRARS project's raw data, as well as the processed results, poses / posed significant limitations on the potential dissemination and exploitation efforts associated with the project. Nevertheless, there are several directions which were foreseen and which the dissemination and exploitation in relation to the project and its results has either already taken or will do so in the period after the end of the project. These directions have as follows:
- Dissemination to the European Regions Airline (ERA) association of the project's context, objectives and goals. Through ERA, an invitation to participate to the study was extended to all of its members, as part of their weekly newsletter.
- Dissemination to ERA: 55 regional airlines across Europe were directly contacted and information in relation to the study's and the CLEAN SKY programme's context, objectives and goals was provided.
- Dissemination internal to the FRARS consortium: Within the FRARS consortium (i.e. SPIRIT S.A.) the knowledge and know-how acquired during the project, including in relation to the study's methodology and associated 'toolset' were disseminated and are planned to be further exploited (subject of course to the aforementioned confidentiality clauses). The company aims to exploit the FRARS outcomes by building on these so as to expand its product / service offerings and to create new business opportunities, whether in this or other adjacent scientific fields.
- Dissemination to the CSJU and the participating airlines: These two groups are the only ones beyond the FRARS coordinator that are to have any access to the project's results. The latter group, only to some restricted parts of these (i.e. as far as their own or other 'generic' processed results) and the former, as the end 'customer', will have full access. Both of these groups either have already, or will receive in the short future, the associated 'processed' information in an electronic format. As a further complementary action, however, there are plans put together by the topic manager in association with the project coordinator for a dedicated event where representatives from the CSJU (GRA ITD and perhaps beyond) and the airlines which participated to the FRARS study will be invited so as to share with them in detail the results / findings of the survey and of the subsequent analysis. This information could thereafter be used, on the one hand by the airlines so as to improve their operational performances and strategies / policies effectiveness, whereas on the other hand by the CLEAN SKY GRA ITD - NC domain so as to consolidate and prioritise their future regional aircraft requirements and associated configurations, much to the benefit of the European aerospace industry as a whole.
The FRARS project was awarded as a result of the first CfP of the GRA programme of the CLEAN SKY JU, to the company SPIRIT S.A. The associated topic manager on the side of the CSJU GRA, responsible for monitoring the project progress, steering (as appropriate) its activities and approving its results, was Alenia Aeronautica SpA.
The project lasted 7 months in total, from 1 March 2010 to 30 September 2010, and its associated activities during this period were split into 3 consecutive work packages (WPs). The results of each of these WPs were summarised by a respective deliverable (i.e. three in total).
Overall, the FRARS project was to collect and analyse the requirements of European regional airlines from future regional aircraft, in view of the future, stricter and 'green' oriented global regulatory framework within which they will be required to operate. The FRARS project constituted the first opportunity - in the frame of the GRA ITD - for airlines to be involved in 'shaping' the future regional aircraft. The results of the FRARS project will 'feed' the research efforts of the new configurations (NC) domain (within the scope of the GRA ITD) as far as the selection of the most appropriate / viable future regional aircraft configurations, out of those examined.
Project results:
Although obviously the results, as also the conclusions, of the FRARS project are 'sensitive' and are hence protected by confidentiality clauses, they could be 'roughly' described as follows:
- A series of valuable observations / deductions with respect to the 'average' Turboprop (TP) operator, the 'average' regional jet (RJ) operator and the 'average' European regional airline. These included aspects in relation to the regional airlines' size / fleet / revenues, their current / future fleet utilisation, their modes of operation, their operational 'particularities', their business / customer and environmental policies / strategies, the 'metric' models they use when procuring new aircraft, their typical financing plan for such new aircraft, their visions / views as far as innovative technology and the future of regional aviation (e.g. TP versus RJ aircraft future markets), etc.
- The desirable (by the airlines) future TP and RJ aircraft 'outline' configurations (both average and stringent / absolute requirements were deducted).
- The 'absolute' 'weights' assigned by the 'average' TP operator, the 'average' RJ operator and the 'average' European regional airline to a large number of prominent aircraft design parameters / aspects.
- An associated methodology and toolset that (based on these 'absolute' weights) supports the decision making of an aircraft manufacturer by allowing: the rapid, straight-forward and credible 'prioritisation' of unlimited alternative aircraft configurations; the accounting of their 'technological' validity / probability; the identification of target values to be aimed for as far as critical or other design parameters; the identification of the most influential design parameters (and corresponding values of those) for a successful 'product' (aircraft). In all of these 'capabilities' offered by the approach developed during the project, the points of view of the customer (airline) -i.e. as per the developed 'aircraft requirements model' - and of the manufacturer (i.e. as per the 'inputs' to the model, e.g. as far as technological capabilities, development costs etc.) can be integrated for the most optimum / 'viable' end result.
Potential impact:
1. Socioeconomic impact
In terms of the socioeconomic impact of the FRARS project, this can be seen to take two main directions: one as far as the use of the FRARS results by the NC domain of the CLEAN SKY GRA ITD and another as far as the future utilisation of the experience gained by the FRARS consortium during the course of the project.
Regarding the former, the conclusions reached by the project and the associated methodology, toolset and 'outline' future TP and RJ aircraft configurations provided will enable the NC domain to consolidate and prioritise the alternative aircraft configurations considered so far and to take the 'customers' views into account during this process. Thus, the resultant aircraft configurations are expected to be, not only 'greener', but also highly 'competitive' since they will closely reflect the end customers' 'desires' and priorities.
As far as the latter, the experience of a small Greek company working closely and fruitfully with a prominent aircraft manufacturer of the likes of Alenia Aeronautica, is invaluable. This on the one hand will allow the future 'cultivation' of the associated business contacts with the aim to possibly create further prospective business opportunities, whereas on the other will allow the future utilisation / application (or even the internal (to the company) transfer) of the knowledge, know-how and involved methodologies, to analogous business opportunities, in the same or other adjacent scientific fields.
2. Societal implications of the project
In the FRARS project 50 % of the personnel involved were females of a higher academic education and professional experience. Although these women were highly qualified and with considerable experience in the IT sector, their involvement in FRARS presented them a rare opportunity to both familiarise themselves and gain valuable knowledge with respect to the aviation / aeronautics field. The majority of the tasks they were assigned to were of a 'business' character (e.g. in relation to the survey's materials, contacts and data analysis); nevertheless, during the course of the project unavoidably related scientific / technical knowledge and know-how was transferred to them. This knowledge and know-how gained by them during FRARS will be invaluable both for the company in its long-term business opportunities pursuits as also to them -as individuals- in their professional careers, whether at this company or any other future ones.
In terms of 'ethics', the only issue of concern in FRARS and to which particular attention was paid, was the 'sensitive' airline operational and strategic data that the project dealt with. This data was protected - and shall continue to be - by confidentiality clauses as its disclosure would potentially harm the respective airlines' image, competitiveness and smooth operation. As a direct consequence, all deliverables of the project were classed as confidential and their disclosure was possible only to the CSJU (that in effect has 'procured' this study), as well as to the respective airlines, only as far as their own or 'generic' processed data / results were concerned. The aforementioned issue of the confidentiality of the FRARS project's raw data, as well as the processed results, poses / posed significant limitations on the potential dissemination and exploitation efforts associated with the project. Nevertheless, there are several directions which were foreseen and which the dissemination and exploitation in relation to the project and its results has either already taken or will do so in the period after the end of the project. These directions have as follows:
- Dissemination to the European Regions Airline (ERA) association of the project's context, objectives and goals. Through ERA, an invitation to participate to the study was extended to all of its members, as part of their weekly newsletter.
- Dissemination to ERA: 55 regional airlines across Europe were directly contacted and information in relation to the study's and the CLEAN SKY programme's context, objectives and goals was provided.
- Dissemination internal to the FRARS consortium: Within the FRARS consortium (i.e. SPIRIT S.A.) the knowledge and know-how acquired during the project, including in relation to the study's methodology and associated 'toolset' were disseminated and are planned to be further exploited (subject of course to the aforementioned confidentiality clauses). The company aims to exploit the FRARS outcomes by building on these so as to expand its product / service offerings and to create new business opportunities, whether in this or other adjacent scientific fields.
- Dissemination to the CSJU and the participating airlines: These two groups are the only ones beyond the FRARS coordinator that are to have any access to the project's results. The latter group, only to some restricted parts of these (i.e. as far as their own or other 'generic' processed results) and the former, as the end 'customer', will have full access. Both of these groups either have already, or will receive in the short future, the associated 'processed' information in an electronic format. As a further complementary action, however, there are plans put together by the topic manager in association with the project coordinator for a dedicated event where representatives from the CSJU (GRA ITD and perhaps beyond) and the airlines which participated to the FRARS study will be invited so as to share with them in detail the results / findings of the survey and of the subsequent analysis. This information could thereafter be used, on the one hand by the airlines so as to improve their operational performances and strategies / policies effectiveness, whereas on the other hand by the CLEAN SKY GRA ITD - NC domain so as to consolidate and prioritise their future regional aircraft requirements and associated configurations, much to the benefit of the European aerospace industry as a whole.