Thursday, June 26, 2014

Federal Aviation Administration urged to run U.S. airports like Seattle-Tacoma International (KSEA)

Gary Beck, Alaska Airlines vice president of flight operations, testified Wednesday in front of the U.S. Senate’s Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security. 

If the rest of the U.S. airports utilized fuel-saving measures like Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the country could see reduced flight times, save fuel and cut pollution.

That's according to U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who wants the Federal Aviation Administration to have more U.S. airports adopt NextGen, a GPS-guided system that replaces decades-old previous air traffic controlling technology.

Airlines at Sea-Tac Airport use the system, and can shave 17 miles off their arrival path, reducing noise over neighborhoods once in the flight path and saving an average of 44 gallons per flight.

Gary Beck, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of flight operations, explained the savings when he testified Wednesday at Cantwell's Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security, which she serves as chairwoman.

With the new procedures, aircraft can make a steady descent on arrival rather than having to level off at incrementally lower altitudes. It’s the difference between “sliding down the banister rather than taking the stairs,” Beck said in his testimony before the committee.


Story:  http://www.bizjournals.com


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