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Posts tagged faa
GPS could save the airlines $10 billion per year
Oct 10th
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Author – Mary Beth Lowell – Communications Manager
Flight progress strips at the control tower at Reagan National Airport (source: AP)
We posted a piece last month on the FAA’s recent efforts to determine if GPS on airplanes would help create more efficient plane routing than the current radar system.
Yesterday, the Associated Press ran a follow-up piece which stated that this project, named NextGen, could potentially save airlines at least 3.3 billion gallons of fuel per year – which equates to more than $10 billion annually by 2025 based on today’s fuel prices.
With ten airlines having shut down and many others facing bankruptcy, this GPS system may be a saving grace for the airline industry. Perhaps it could even translate to some relief for passengers in the form of cheaper tickets (maybe we could even get our peanuts and pretzels back?).
To the layperson, it also seems that the new technology may be a bit safer. One spokesman for the Air Transportation Association said that the current radar system is "the equivalent of using an electric typewriter when others are using computers."
In order to move forward with the project, airlines would have to contribute $15 billion toward the overall $35 billion price tag. They must also equip their planes with GPS at a cost of more than $200,000 per plane.
According to the AP, many airlines are waiting to do this until they determine that the project is moving forward. Southwest Airlines is one of the few that says it is investing millions to equip its 500 planes with GPS within the next few years.
FAA Uses GPS to Create More Efficient Airplane Routing
Sep 15th
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Author – Mary Beth Lowell – Communications Manager
This might fall under the category of "Why haven’t they thought of this sooner?"
The FAA is testing out GPS on some planes to determine if using this system (versus ground-based radar) will help more efficiently route planes, saving airlines money on gas as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
It appears the answer is "most definitely."
On Friday, FAA officials showed off the technology at the San Francisco International Airport as they watched the arrival of a Boeing 777 plane from Airways New Zealand. According to the pilot, using the GPS tracking system saved 1,200 gallons of jet fuel, emitted 12 tons less of carbon into the air, and even brought the flight in 5 minutes ahead of schedule.
This is possible because the GPS technology allows planes to take more direct and fuel-efficient flight routes.
Apparently the new system allows pilots more freedom in determining the most efficient route to destination by climbing to high elevations more quickly and taking longer, more gradual descents to the runway.
This program is gradually being introduced across the country and should be nationwide by 2025. It will cost taxpayers though – anywhere between $16 to $22 billion according to the FAA.
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