It’s amazing to see the full-circle moment happening here, from Da Vinci’s initial observations to the Wright brothers’ early designs, and now with companies like Airbus, Delta, Boeing, and Lufthansa, the industry is rediscovering the secrets nature has held all along. One of the most compelling examples is the “fello’fly” project. Imagine geese flying in formation, saving energy as they go. Airbus, along with Delta, is trying to mimic this with the “wake energy retrieval” technique.

The idea is that a trailing jet can fly in the wake vortex of a lead jet, getting a free ride on the lead jet’s energy and generating fuel savings of 5% to 10% per trip. Delta is gearing up to test this in live operations over the Atlantic, pairing flights and seeing if they can safely reduce the distance between planes, just like the geese do.

Airbus isn’t stopping there either. Through their UpNext innovation lab, they’re working on ultra-flexible wings inspired by eagles. These wings are designed to bend and adapt to air currents and turbulence, with hinges that adjust dynamically and sensors that can determine nuanced movements. The goal is to create longer, leaner, and lighter wings that can improve aerodynamic efficiency.