The advent of the software-defined aircraft

In the 1970s, Airbus pioneered ‘fly-by-wire’ technology. The latest watchword is ‘fly-by-code’. The company is investing in an R&T-led digital transformation that will turn its aircraft into hyper-connected software platforms. The shift aims to make the business of flying even safer and more efficient, in the air and on the ground. 

The automotive industry has adjusted to the reality that vehicles are no longer just engines and metal. They are computers on wheels. 

Aerospace is on the edge of an equally profound transformation, even if its R&T and certification cycles are longer. The sector is moving towards a generation of products designed to be networked digital natives, where code plays a more and more prominent role. 

These are software-defined aircraft, capable of natively processing and intelligently interpreting terabytes of data to support and protect pilots and operators. 

In the air: scaling up modular software into an ecosystem

To understand the software-defined aircraft, it helps to look at modern platforms such as the Airbus A350. It already features modular digital systems that consolidate separate hardware units hosting multiple applications. 

These applications are concentrated on the aircraft’s core operational systems. Modular avionics is small in scale, typically managing only 20 to 30 functions such as maintenance diagnostics, cockpit displays, cabin environment and engine control. 

In addition, for most commercial aircraft, digital capabilities are rigidly stuck at the factory gate. Upgrading or retrofitting a system demands heavy physical modifications and costly downtime.

Airbus’ emerging Next-Generation System Platform – NGSP – breaks the ceiling. Rather than limiting software to a few distinct tasks, this major R&T programme is scaling up digital aircraft architecture to an ecosystem that bridges safety, flight operations and ground operations. 

The NGSP folds all three domains (including access to Skywise’s data lake for predictive aircraft maintenance and more) into a single concept made possible by faster, more affordable air-to-ground and air-to-air connectivity. 

It creates a skyborne neural network where flight crews can instantly and easily share and receive operational data that facilitates decision making and flight optimisation. 

And rather than having one computer per function, which is the case for legacy aircraft, a single high-performance computer can undertake dozens of functions, reducing its physical footprint inside the aircraft. 

Remote upgrades

The software-defined aircraft is a dynamic platform that actually improves over time. By replacing rigid physical systems with adaptable code, operators can deploy over-the-air updates to optimise fuel burn, reconfigure cabin systems, or patch flight logic much faster. 

Continuous data streaming also unlocks larger predictive maintenance capability, enabling the aircraft to self-diagnose and flag component wear before it causes an expensive delay. This maximises fleet availability.

These practical advantages read across to daily operations. Today, if an airline wants to tweak a pilot display setting or run an update, a technician must access the avionics bay, manually load the software and test the physical interfaces amid a complex web of wiring.

The software-defined aircraft removes this friction point. Since it relies on high-performance, standardised computing nodes, configuration management and system updates can be executed entirely remotely. 

A failsafe architecture

Deploying a fully connected, scalable digitally-native aircraft rightly invites questions about safety and vulnerability to cyber threats. When an aircraft processes terabytes of data and communicates continuously with ground networks, ironclad security is non-negotiable.

Airbus thus is designing its new digital aircraft nervous system with strict architectural redundancy. While the computing environment is unified in concept, it is physically segregated across separate platforms located throughout the airframe.

The company’s engineers perform exhaustive studies to isolate and protect these critical systems. If a software glitch or an external disruption compromises one platform, a secondary system built on entirely different underlying technology and software code instantly assumes control.

This multi-layered resilience involves a carefully-managed value chain. Critical functions are handled by specialist Airbus units, while other system segments are co-developed with specialist partners. By diversifying the software architecture, Airbus eliminates any possibility of a single point of failure.

Easing the flight deck burden

The introduction of high-powered computing platforms enables an aircraft to autonomously run artificial intelligence applications. These handle labour-intensive, data-heavy tasks to protect and support pilots. 

For example, future cockpits could feature AI-driven obstacle detection to spot runway hazards, speech-to-text applications that instantly render air traffic control commands for the crew, or visual-based automatic landing support. 

"The goal of our software-defined architecture is to elevate the pilot,” says Maud Delourme, head of multi-systems engineering and integration at Airbus. “By scaling up computing power, we can automate high-workload tasks. This moves crew responsibility from operational flying to strategic management. They are then fully equipped to make critical safety decisions, when human judgment is irreplaceable.”

On the ground: adapting to automated operations

Aircraft entering service a decade or more from today will operate in a world that is increasingly automated and robotised. This is another reason to design them as digitally-native platforms. The transition will directly benefit both airlines and airport operations.

How? First, by improving working conditions. Automation will handle physically demanding tasks, such as loading and unloading luggage in extreme temperatures. 

Enhanced safety and efficiency on the ground will directly result in lower airline operating costs. Improved communication between aircraft and ground platforms such as autonomous trucks and tugs will reduce collision risks and mitigate manpower shortages on the apron and at the ramp.

Demonstrators on the horizon 

The digital transition requires a deep change in the aerospace industry: shifting engineering competencies from mechanical system design towards advanced software architecture. It rewrites the legacy business models of suppliers who historically relied on a hardware-heavy aftermarket.

Airbus is actively de-risking this massive undertaking through a highly structured development roadmap. The company is working with partners to lock in baseline requirements and build physical demonstrators. Non-flying test benches are slated to mature by the end of the decade.

In conclusion, the shift towards digitally-native platforms opens the way to a future where the software-defined aircraft is seamlessly integrated into a wider, autonomous ecosystem.