The Aircraft Operations Lab at UC3M Aerospace Engineering department celebrated a year of achievements, growth, and impactful contributions to aerospace innovation and education.
Simulator Setup and High-Profile Visits
The year began with the successful setup of our Boeing 737 simulator, enhancing hands-on training for students in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programs. This milestone was marked by visits from UC3M Rector Ángel Arias and Emilio Viciana, Regional Minister for Education, Science, and Universities, who experienced the simulator firsthand. Read more here.
Prestigious Award Recognition
Our team was honored with the Aeronautical Innovation Award (Premio de Innovación Aeronáutica – Luis Azcárraga) at the XXVIII Aeronautical Awards ceremony of Fundación ENAIRE. The winning work, “Conflict assessment and resolution of climate-optimal aircraft trajectories at grid scale,” was developed by Fateme Baneshi, Abolfazl Simorgh, and Manuel Soler. Learn about the awarded research here.
Journal Publications
In 2024, the lab produced 15 journal papers, advancing knowledge in aviation sustainability, AI-based weather prediction, and innovative trajectory optimization techniques. Find all our publications here.
PhD Thesis Defenses
In 2024, five of our PhD students successfully defended their theses: Aniel Jardines, Amin Jafarimoghaddam, Abolfazl Simorgh, and Thomas Frekhaug at UC3M, and Shumpei Kano, supervised by Manuel Soler, at TU Dresden.
New Research Projects
This year marked the start of two groundbreaking projects:
- F4EClim. Advancing environmentally focused air traffic management solutions.
- FLOCK. Disrupting the Skies: Formation Flight for Aviation Sustainability
Events and Conferences
Our team actively participated in prestigious global events, including a talk by Prof. Manuel Soler at EPFL University’s Control Seminar Series; engagement in the Contrail Observations Workshop organized by Google Research and Breakthrough Energy; and poster presentations at the ESA-ECMWF Workshop on Machine Learning for Earth System Observation and Prediction, EGU 2024, and SESAR Innovation Days 2024.
Outreach and Public Engagement
We reaffirmed our commitment to education and public engagement by sharing our research and expertise through various outreach initiatives. Highlights include the participation in IFEMA’s “Madrid es Ciencia” at Education Week, the showcase of the E-CONTRAIL project research during the European Researchers’ Night, and a Science & Innovation Week workshop on contrails and climate impact.
Moreover, we organized six school workshops in Madrid at La Salle Griñón, CEIP Calderón de la Barca in Leganés, Gerardo Diego Institute in Pozuelo de Alarcón, PEAC Enrichment Program, CEIP Ángel González in Leganés, and Teresa de Berganza school in Boadilla del Monte.
Media Features
Our lab gained media visibility with an interview about the RefMap project and a feature on the Aerospace Ambition Podcast with Prof. Manuel Soler.
Team Expansion
We welcomed two postdoctoral researchers, and three new PhD candidates, bringing fresh perspectives and strengthening our research capacity. Meet our team.
2024 has been a great year for the Aircraft Operations Lab, solidifying our role at the forefront of aerospace research and education. We thank all those who have supported and collaborated with us, and we look forward to reaching new heights in 2025 to move closer to smarter and more sustainable aviation.
Happy holidays and best wishes for the new year!