In a meeting with Airbus last week I found out that their forthcoming A380-1000 – the supersized airliner capable of carrying up to 1,000 passengers – will be equipped with 10,000 sensors in each wing.
The current A350 model has a total of close to 6,000 sensors across the entire plane and generates 2.5 Tb of data per day, while the newer model – expected to take to the skies in 2020 – will capture more than triple that amount.
In an industry as driven by technology as the aviation industry, it’s hardly surprising that every element of an aircraft’s performance is being monitored for the potential to make adjustments which could save millions on fuel bills and, more importantly, save lives by improving safety.