The project RECREATE (REsearch on a CRuiser Enabled Air Transport Environment) is a part of the EU 7th Framework Programme and is conducted by nine European research institutes, universities and corporations.
RECREATE explores new solutions for the civil air transportation in the future. The project is focusing on the introduction of cruiser-feeder operations and air-to-air refuelling as a pioneering idea for civil aircrafts. The implementation of the RECREATE concept would enable a shift in the aircraft movements towards new types of smaller feeder aircrafts. These aircrafts have the potential to improve the energy efficiency and reduce the noise emissions from aircraft movements. The feeder aircrafts could start from regional, less central airports, which would reduce the negative noise impacts of international hub airports often located close to densely populated areas. As a part of the RECREATE project the Institute of Sustainable Development (INE) is looking at the consequences of the feeder-cruiser operations on aircraft noise and on regions currently affected by the noise.
In the RECREATE scenario the larger aircrafts carrying more than 250 passengers would be replaced. Aircrafts with a passenger capacity over 250 tend to have higher noise emissions during take-off compared with smaller ones. The following figure presents the take-off noise and capacities of common civil aircrafts operating in Europe (FAA 2010).
The video below (click on the image or the Youtube Link) presents the RECREATE scenario with air-to-air refuelling operations and transport of passengers with a feeder aircraft to a larger cruiser aircraft.
Information on the project in German