Trans-Atlantic Flight Aims To Prove Concept
When American Airlines Flight 63 departs Paris for Miami at 10
a.m. local time on Thursday, June 11, it will embark upon a journey
to prove that trans-Atlantic flights can be operated a bit greener
and leaner.
Through the Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to Reduce
Emissions (AIRE), American will be the first U.S. airline to test
next-generation (NextGen) technology and procedures that will
significantly reduce carbon emissions and save fuel on
trans-Atlantic routes. The testing will be conducted during a
normally scheduled flight so American can obtain real-time
benefits.
AIRE, a joint initiative among the FAA, the European
Commission, and several airlines, is designed to speed up
application of new technologies and operational procedures, which
have a direct impact on reducing carbon emissions and noise
pollution as well as conserving fuel. Part of the AIRE project
includes gate-to-gate flight demonstrations to test the benefits of
technologies that will be used with the FAA's NextGen air traffic
management system.
"It is critical that the aviation industry work with our Air
Traffic Control partners to demonstrate the benefits of NextGen
technology today. By implementing this technology as quickly as
possible, we can make real and meaningful strides to reduce our
impact on the environment, increase system capacity, and reduce air
traffic delays," said Bob Reding, American's Executive Vice
President - Operations. "Utilizing NextGen technology is a crucial
part of American's overall environmental and fuel savings efforts.
These efforts have already yielded fuel savings of more than 110
million gallons annually and reduced our carbon emissions by 2.3
billion pounds in 2008."
Using a Boeing 767-300 aircraft, American Flight 63 will fly
from Paris Charles De Gaulle and arrive at Miami International
Airport at 1355 EDT. The flight will conduct several fuel
conservation measures, including single-engine taxi on departure
and arrival, continuous climb out and descent, optimized routing
over water, and a "tailored arrival." Several of these endeavors
are already key elements of Fuel Smart, American's ongoing employee
fuel conservation program. In 2009, American aims to save 120
million gallons of jet fuel and reduce its carbon emissions by 2.5
billion pounds.
Post-flight data analysis by the FAA, European Commission, and
American will determine the carbon and fuel savings gained on the
demonstration flight. The FAA and AA will then conduct a two-month
trial in Miami to continue testing the next-generation technology
and procedures.