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The experimental results of air evolution research by gravity fuel flow in a pipeline are presented. The pipe-line included an inclined section and a horizontal section connected by a bend. An orifice was installed at the entrance of the inclined pipeline section. The experimental investigations were carried out at pressures ranging from 20 to 80 kPa and temperatures varying between −20°C and +20°C. A significant fuel flow drop was observed by decreasing the pressure to a certain boundary value. This effect was caused by air evolution and the formation of two-phase air-fuel flow. It was shown that the boundary pressure value corresponding to the air evolution onset depended on temperature and fuel velocity values.

Trajectory optimization methods have been successfully used to minimize pollutant emissions during departure and arrivals, and noise over communities near the airports. This has led to the development, within the CleanSky European research project, of a trajectory optimization framework capable of finding optimal flight paths that minimize emissions, flight cost and noise impact on the population, while still taking into account aircraft limitations and operational restrictions. While this can be very useful when the next generation of trajectory-based air-traffic management systems arrives, as being proposed by SESAR and NextGen, it can still provide benefits in the current context, if implemented taking into account the air navigation rules.