Wed, Jun 04, 2008
New East Coast Routes Announced
At a time when fuel costs are
soaring, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced
new East Coast routes over the ocean that have the potential to
save millions of dollars in fuel, reduce delays and help the
environment.
"We’re taking a major step forward in efficiency," said
Robert A. Sturgell, the FAA’s acting administrator. "These
additional routes will save time, fuel and money."
Standardized aircraft navigation, Required Navigation
Performance (RNP) 10, will allow planes to fly closer together over
the Atlantic from New York to the Caribbean, creating more routes
and reducing delays along that busy corridor.
Reducing the lateral separation between aircraft from 90
nautical miles (nm) to 50 nm will increase the number of available
routes for aircraft traveling off the East Coast by about 40
percent. These routes are in areas that include New York oceanic,
Miami oceanic, and the San Juan Center Approach Control
airspace.
These new routes give controllers the flexibility to offer more
efficient flight altitudes, enabling aircraft to reach their
destinations more quickly. They are projected to reduce aircraft
carbon emissions by 3.9 million tons and save between $400 and $700
million in fuel costs over a 15-year period.
The FAA is now able to reduce the separation in oceanic airspace
because most aircraft have been equipped with more sophisticated
on-board navigation equipment. Airlines and aircraft that are
authorized for RNP will be able to take advantage of the reduced
separation standards. RNP aircraft may fly on any desired flight
path within the coverage of ground- or space-based navigational
aids. Approximately 95 percent of the aircraft that fly through
this airspace are now RNP-equipped. The changes take effect on June
5.
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