Swiss pilots will fly a solar plane around the world from Abu Dhabi

The first solar-powered flight around the world will take off from and touch down in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, officials announced Thursday. In March 2015, pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg plan to make the round-the-world journey in the Solar Impulse 2, an aircraft that runs exclusively on power from the sun. The choice of Abu Dhabi as the launch site for the historic journey is likely to bolster the wealthy emirate’s efforts to position itself as a champion of renewable energy. It controls the bulk of the vast petroleum reserves in the Emirates, a seven-state federation that ranks among the largest oil exporters in OPEC.

We have chosen this location as being the best and most suitable departure and return point for the round-the-world tour, due to its climate, infrastructure and commitment to clean technologies.

Andre Borschberg, Solar Impulse co-founder and CEO

In 2013, Borschberg and Piccard flew their first solar-powered plane, the Solar Impulse, on five legs of a cross-country flight from California to New York. The aircraft was powered entirely by sunlight, and carried batteries that could be charged during the day, which enabled the pilots to fly the plane at night. The Solar Impulse 2 (SI2) is a newer version of the original aircraft, with a wingspan that measures 72 metres - wider than a Boeing 747. The SI2 carries 17,000 solar cells, allowing it to fly almost indefinitely without fuel. The aircraft weighs just 2,300 kilograms, less than a Toyota Tundra pickup truck, according to company officials.

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