• Research focuses on a novel engine inlet, operational concepts
• Test occurring on newest Boeing ecoDemonstrator flying test bed
• Collaboration supports FAA CLEEN program
SEATTLE, JULY 16, 2026 — Boeing [NYSE: BA], Lufthansa and Rolls-Royce will soon conduct flight tests of innovations meant to improve fuel efficiency and reduce noise.
Being tested on these flights are:
• The Next Generation Inlet, a reduced-length engine inlet demonstrator with advanced acoustic treatments. The inlet enables the integration of more fuel-efficient engines onto future platforms, and reduces weight and drag while maintaining the acoustic performance.
• Modified departure and arrival procedures, including Intelligent Operations flight paths, which aim to reduce community noise around airports. These flight paths are algorithmically generated using multiple data sources to identify opportunities for fuel-efficiency and noise benefits.
The testing, which begins later this month at the Boeing site in Glasgow, Montana, is being conducted on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet that’s serving as Boeing’s 2026 ecoDemonstrator Explorer airplane. This Boeing 787-9 is scheduled to be delivered to Lufthansa at a later date and features Trent 1000 engines from Rolls-Royce. The testing is expected to run through mid-August.
“Boeing works tirelessly to deliver the aerospace innovations of today and tomorrow,” said Boeing Chief Technology Officer Lane Ballard. “The more efficient inlet and Intelligent Operations flight paths we’re evaluating on this year’s ecoDemonstrator Explorer are among the many promising concepts we’re working on. These enhancements have the potential to make our airplanes even more valuable to our partners, including customers like Lufthansa and suppliers like Rolls-Royce.” (....)