NAVBLUE and UWaterloo team up to drive sustainability in Flight Operations

• NAVBLUE partners with Canadian university to address sustainability challenges
• 5-year program to research flight operations software solutions to contribute to aviation’s net-zero targets

NAVBLUE, an Airbus company, and the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA) in Canada have partnered to address some of the industry’s most complex sustainability challenges through applied research and innovation.

Over the next five years, NAVBLUE and WISA will explore how emerging technologies can identify and drive sustainability in NAVBLUE’s core business of software for operations and crew management, flight planning, aircraft performance, flight data analysis and navigational data.

A first in Canada, WISA was launched in the summer of 2021 to foster cross-disciplinary research technology, and education aimed at making the aviation and aerospace sectors more environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable.

“The aviation industry relies on trusted partners like NAVBLUE to provide state of the art integrated systems that work in the background yet are the backbone of every traveller’s experience,” said Suzanne Kearns, Director of WISA. “There are enormous opportunities to reduce the negative environmental impacts of the sector, by supporting more direct and efficient operations, thus reducing fuel burn and resulting emissions.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics, to research new technologies for flight operations” said Mr. Thomas Lagaillarde , Head of Product Portfolio & Programmes and Managing Director Canada at NAVBLUE. He adds: “Sustainability is a complex issue we can only solve by working together. Working with WISA allows us to combine NAVBLUE’s flight operations expertise and Airbus’ manufacturing knowledge, with the University of Waterloo’s renowned research capabilities to build sustainable solutions for our partners.”

Sustainable aeronautics is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field that encompasses all types of air transport, including aviation, aerospace, and space. Researchers develop innovative solutions, tools, and practices to create a viable future for air transport that delivers long-term social, environmental, and economic value.

“Aeronautics can be a force for good – connecting people around the world, driving cultural and economic exchange, creating millions of jobs, and providing limitless opportunities for innovation” said Jean Andrey, Dean of Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment, where WISA is housed.

The long-term viability of the aviation and aerospace industries depend on socially, environmentally, and economic sustainable solutions and practices. Through this partnership, faculty and graduate students from across the University of Waterloo will work collaboratively with the team at NAVBLUE on applied research to address some of the industry’s most complex issues.

About NAVBLUE: NAVBLUE is an Airbus Services company, wholly owned by Airbus, and dedicated to Flight Operations & Air Traffic Management Solutions. NAVBLUE provides products and services, and supports both civil and military environments, on the ground and onboard any aircraft and offers expertise in a range of areas, including digital cockpit operations, Operations Control Centre (OCC) systems, Flight Ops Engineering, Performance Based Navigation (PBN) and Air Traffic Management (ATM). NAVBLUE employs 460 employees spread across the world, with offices in Canada, France, Sweden, Thailand, UK and US and representatives in several other countries across the globe.

More info at: www.navblue.aero

About the University of Waterloo: University of Waterloo is a leading global innovation hub that drives economic and social prosperity for Canada and the world. With more than 41,000 students, we are home to the world's largest co-op education talent pipeline, to game-changing research and technology, and to an unmatched entrepreneurial culture. Together, these create partnerships and solutions to tackle today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.

Find out more at uwaterloo.ca