FAA works to reduce delays, fuel costs
March 2, 2012, 06:59 pm
The Federal Aviation Administration recently launched the design of improved flight paths for planes exiting and entering the airports of Atlanta, Georgia, and Charlotte, North Carolina. The goal of the new flight paths is to reduce delays, cut down on emissions and improve the flow of air traffic in the regions. The FAA hopes passengers will appreciate improved efficiency and residents will enjoy quieter trips as a result of the changes.
According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the FAA estimates improvements to the airports in Atlanta will reduce aircraft nautical miles flown by 1.2 million, cut fuel costs by $7.7 million, lower fuel consumption by 2.8 million gallons and decrease carbon emissions by 30,000 metric tons. The project is expected to be completed in three years and aims to inspire similar projects at airports across the country. The FAA will head the design and planning, environmental assessments and training of air traffic controllers at the airports as part of the project.
Improvements to the Atlanta and Charlotte airports are part of the FAA's Metroplex program, working to reduce noise pollution and air traffic congestion. Currently, the FAA has launched projects in 21 metropolitan areas across the United States, including the implementation of NextGen modernized air traffic control infrastructure. The new control technology works with the expansion of global positioning system technology in planes to provide pilots and air traffic controllers with more specific locations than dated radar-based systems, the Journal Constitution reported.
Part of the Atlanta airport project is an expansion of flight procedures using continuous descents, rather than a step-by-step descent method currently in place. The new procedures enable pilots to come close to idling the engines during the descent, which in turn will reduce noise, fuel consumptions and carbon emissions. Delta Airlines has already started practicing the new descent procedures and expects to broaden the use of the method in the future, the newspaper reported.
At the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the FAA estimates 2.5 million fewer nautical miles will be flown in and out of the city as a result of the improvements, saving 3.7 million gallons of fuel and reducing carbon emissions by 35,000 metric tons. The FAA wants to make aviation greener with faster, more efficient flights with its improvement projects, the Charlotte Business Journal reported.
According to Robert Isom, U.S. Airways' chief operating officer, the airlines will be working with the FAA to continually evaluate the impact its business has on the environment and surrounding communities. The company aims to reduce its carbon emissions by 59,000 metric tons each year, saving $17 million annually in fuel costs, the business journal reported.
The FAA's Metroplex initiative includes creating separate high-altitude flight tracks for Atlanta departures and Charlotte arrivals to enable the new descent method. The administration also aims to shorten flight tracks by making them more direct and developing routes that will allow general aviation traffic to fly over Atlanta and Charlotte areas while staying clear of controlled air space. The FAA will design new satellite-based procedures for Atlanta reliever airports with air traffic control towers, as well as implement new satellite-based procedures for airports surrounding Charlotte. The ceiling of air space handled by the FAA terminal radar approach control at Douglas Airport will increase from 14,000 feet to 16,000 feet to accommodate the new profile descents, the journal reported.
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