ATM Concept Cuts Fuel, Emissions In Initial Deployment
Boeing says the company and its partners in industry and
government achieved significant reductions in fuel consumption and
carbon dioxide emissions during a recent deployment of an
innovative Air Traffic Management (ATM) concept called Tailored
Arrivals.
From December 4, 2007 to March 23, 2008, United Airlines, Air
New Zealand and Japan Airlines completed 57 flights into San
Francisco International Airport that utilized a continuous descent
rather than a "step-descent" series of level segments as now
required. The Tailored Arrivals approach reduced fuel consumption
during descents by up to 39 percent, depending on airplane type,
and total carbon emissions by more than 500,000 pounds.
"Concepts like Tailored Arrivals potentially can be deployed
quickly and at relatively low cost because the technology is in
place today," said Kevin Brown, Boeing vice president and general
manager of Air Traffic Management. "As more airlines and airports
use it, we move closer toward realizing the benefits expected from
the Next-Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen)."
Tailored Arrivals enable aircraft to fully utilize air-to-ground
data link technology to descend into an airport with minimal direct
air traffic control (ATC) intervention. The project relied on key
technologies supplied by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) and by NASA. The FAA's Ocean 21 system delivers data to and
streamlines communications between flight crews and air traffic
controllers. NASA's En-route Descent Adviser (EDA) computes
fuel-efficient descent solutions.
The airlines involved in the San Francisco flights used Boeing
777-200ER and 747-400 airplanes. On average, full Tailored Arrival
approaches reduced fuel consumption of the 777s by 1,303 pounds per
flight, or about 34 percent. For the 747s, the savings were even
greater... 2,291 pounds, or about 39 percent.
Even partial use of the Tailored Arrivals approach, which
occurred on 119 additional flights, produced fuel savings of 379
pounds per flight for the 777s and 1,100 pounds per flight for the
thirstier 747s.
The San Francisco effort began as a development project between
Boeing and NASA and continues in partnership with the FAA. It also
is part of an international program to reduce fuel consumption and
carbon emissions.
The Tailored Arrivals procedures will be used later this year at
Miami International Airport as part of a joint FAA-European
Commission initiative to accelerate the practical implementation of
transatlantic air traffic management improvements that can reduce
emissions and noise.