Thu, Jul 01, 2010
Alaska Aircraft Will Perform Tests To Develop More Efficient
Flight Paths
Alaska Airlines is joining three other aviation companies and
the FAA to develop computer technologies that reduce fuel burn,
emissions and noise. Alaska will perform test flights during the
five-year $66 million project, funded by the FAA, in partnership
with GE Aviation, Lockheed Martin and AirDat.
Test flights later this year will establish a baseline to
measure commercial aircraft fuel use, emissions and noise using
current flight and air traffic management technologies. Future test
flights will measure improvements from GE Aviation development
efforts aimed at spacing airliners by time rather than distance so
they can routinely fly more efficient cruise and descent paths. The
goal of the joint FAA-industry Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions
and Noise (CLEEN) program is to develop technologies that airlines
can begin using in 2015.
"As an industry leader in pioneering Next Generation technology
like Required Navigation Performance, Alaska Airlines is proud to
join an effort that will modernize our flight management systems
and have the added benefits of reducing fuel burn, emissions and
aircraft noise while also improving our on-time reliability," said
Gary Beck, Alaska Airlines' vice president of flight
operations.
GE will develop advanced flight management computer system
functionality that will be installed on several of Alaska's Boeing
737s for the project. Work with Lockheed Martin will test
integration between the flight management system and the FAA's
ground-based air traffic control system at its en route centers. GE
and AirDat will develop technology to provide improved weather
information to reduce aircraft fuel consumption and emissions.
"Programs like this will help change the commercial aviation
landscape toward significant improvements in our air traffic
management system," said Lorraine Bolsinger, president and CEO of
GE Aviation Systems. "GE's flight management system optimized
descent product enables increased aircraft capacity along with a
potential 5 to 15 percent fuel savings. Through work with our
partners, we will be able to realize even greater savings."
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