Greener flights from maths wins science prize at THE Awards

A project to cut carbon emissions by using sophisticated maths to better direct aircraft across the Atlantic has been named as the UK’s best science project of 2022.

Paul Williams, Nancy Nichols, and Cathie Wells, from the University of Reading’s School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences, won Research Project of the Year for STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) at the Times Higher Education Awards 2022.

The Times Higher Education Awards are the leading awards that celebrate the work of individual and institutions in universities and colleges in the UK and Ireland. They cover the full range of university activity - both academic and support services, from front-line staff through to all levels of leadership and management.

Professor Paul Williams’, Professor Nancy Nichols’, and PhD student Cathie Wells’ work on reducing aircraft emissions by improving transatlantic flight routes is ground-breaking. The team used a mathematical algorithm to calculate the optimum routes between European and USA destinations. They found that the routes traditionally used by planes, flying along an invisible motorway in the sky, were up to 16.2% longer than the optimised routes.

For flights between London Heathrow and New York JFK airports alone, this resulted in 6.7 million kg of unnecessary CO2 emissions in total, over a period of three months in 2019 and 2020.

By hitching a ride on the jet stream, transatlantic flights could save fuel and reduce emissions. As such, greater route flexibility for aircraft could deliver significant and immediate emissions cuts, with little associated financial cost. In fact, the study was cited by air-traffic controllers as evidence to permanently abolish the old transatlantic routes. Since 1 March 2022, all flights at and below 33,000 feet have benefited from this greater route flexibility.

Cathie Wells, PhD Mathematics of Planet Earth Researcher, said:  “It is hugely satisfying to see my research having a genuine impact on the aviation industry, and potentially helping to make a real difference in the fight against climate change.”

Paul Williams said: "We are absolutely thrilled to have won this award for the UK's best science research project.  Designing more intelligent flight routes is an immediate and low-cost way to reduce aircraft emissions.  I think it will play a key role in helping to make flying greener in future."

The award win was the second for the University of Reading at this year’s awards, with technician Hong Lin winning an award as the UK’s Outstanding Technician of the Year.

Professor Parveen Yaqoob, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, said: "The University of Reading seeks to bring about positive change in the world. Both Paul and Hong have made significant contributions in that respect and should be justly proud of themselves. Their work sits in the context of an active, lively, and successful research community, here at the University of Reading.”

Paul Williams talks more about his research for Reading's alumni magazine, Connected.