ZENITIA Project Convenes Kick-Off Meeting to Accelerate Climate-Neutral Aviation Through Advanced Airspace and Fleet Integration
Updated: 1 day ago
Madrid, Spain, October 7, 2026. Following its official operational start in September, the ZENITIA project (Zero-Emission Next-Gen Innovation and Technology Integration for Aviation) marks today its public launch as its international consortium gathers for the project’s kick-off meeting.
Funded under the Horizon Europe SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking framework, the 30-month project will develop science and evidence-based methods to understand how next-generation aircraft and fuels can be integrated safely, efficiently, and with the greatest achievable environmental benefit across Europe’s air transport system. Coordinated by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), this initiative brings together a multidisciplinary consortium of leading universities, industry partners, and an air traffic control organization to help Europe prepare its skies for cleaner and more sustainable flights.
European flight numbers are projected to increase by more than 50% by 2050 compared with 2023. At the same time, aviation must reduce its climate impact while accommodating growing demand. Achieving international climate goals requires evidence-based decisions on emerging technologies, fuel supply chains, infrastructure readiness, and regulatory instruments. A comprehensive pre-implementation assessment is essential not only to quantify potential environmental benefits but also to anticipate the operational implications of integrating next-generation fleets, which introduce new performance characteristics, infrastructure needs, and regulatory adaptations that will reshape airport operations, airspace management, and traffic flows.
However, the current state of the literature and scientific understanding remains insufficient to support such analysis. Critical gaps persist in the detailed characterization of evolutionary and revolutionary (E/R) aircraft performance (e.g., range and payload limitations, altered climb/descent and cruise profiles, and wake behaviour), emissions and their associated climate impacts, and system-level evaluations of how mixed fleets, combining E/R aircraft, can operate seamlessly within the air transport system. This gap poses a significant risk of misdirecting policy incentives and could undermine global efforts to achieve climate neutrality.
The ZENITIA project introduces three integrated solutions designed to transform scientific climate modelling into operational tools for aviation stakeholders:
High-fidelity environmental impact modelling: ZENITIA will link aircraft design and dynamic performance modelling with emissions estimation and atmospheric science to quantify CO₂ and non-CO₂ climate effects, including contrails, NOₓ-induced effects and water vapour, as well as local and regional air-quality impacts. Where suitable reference data exists, models will be validated against industry tools, observations, and established datasets.
Mixed-fleet simulation from gate to gate: ZENITIA develops advanced simulation tools to model and optimize complete flight operations involving both conventional and zero-emission aircraft. These tools help assess how different aircraft types can operate together, from departure to arrival. They provide the insights needed to understand future airport infrastructure requirements, operational changes, and best practices for integrating zero-emission aircraft into existing fleets. This addresses a key gap identified by European aviation initiatives such as the Alliance for Zero Emission Aviation (AZEA) and SESAR.
Interactive decision-support platform for 2035–2050 roadmaps: ZENITIA introduces an interactive decision-support dashboard that allows stakeholders to test future aviation scenarios for 2035, 2040, and 2050. By bringing environmental impacts, flight operations, and airport infrastructure data together in one platform, the dashboard aims to help regulators, airlines, and policymakers explore different pathways for aviation’s transition. This supports the development of policy adaptations, operational guidelines, and infrastructure investment plans aligned with the objectives of the EU Green Deal.
"ZENITIA addresses a central challenge for future aviation: how to ensure that next-generation aircraft and fuels deliver measurable climate benefits while remaining safe, efficient and manageable across airports and airspace. By connecting environmental science with gate-to-gate operations and AI-enabled scenario analysis, we aim to turn today’s uncertainty into evidence that stakeholders can use." — Dr. Abolfazl Simorgh, Project Coordinator, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M)
ZENITIA is designed to support the Digital European Sky vision and ongoing European efforts to integrate zero and low-emission aircraft. By systematically testing alternative pathways under uncertainty in technology maturity, fuel and energy availability, infrastructure readiness, and traffic demand, the project aims to reduce uncertainty for regulators, airports, airlines, air navigation stakeholders, manufacturers, and energy providers. Its outputs will provide evidence to inform operational concepts, infrastructure planning, regulatory adaptation, and market-based measures for a climate-aligned aviation transition.
“Boeing Aerospace Spain’s Global Technology division will contribute to the ZENITIA project with OEM performance data to evaluate the fidelity of the models developed for kerosene-powered aircraft,” said Eduardo Carrillo de Albornoz, Managing Director of Boeing Global Technology-Europe. “Together with Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and consortium partners, we look forward to moving the dial on next-generation aircraft technology.”
The ZENITIA consortium brings together nine organisations across academia, industry, and the air traffic management community:
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (Project Coordinator) – Spain
Boeing Deutschland GmbH – Germany
Boeing Aerospace Spain – Spain
Estuaire SAS – France
Future Needs Management Consulting Ltd. – Cyprus
Imperial College London – United Kingdom
International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations – Canada
Technische Universiteit Delft – Netherlands
University of Cambridge – United Kingdom
Media & Contact Information
Website: zenitia.eu
Project Coordinator:
Prof. Abolfazl Simorgh, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Press & Dissemination Officer:
Virginia Villaplana, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
The project has received funding from the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking under the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101289124.
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or SESAR 3 JU. Neither the European Union nor the SESAR 3 JU can be held responsible for them.
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