CWT - Industry Trends/Innovations

Industry Trends/Innovations

Plane manufacturers, users collaborate on ‘green’ testing
Chicago-based Boeing Co., NASA, the FAA, and five Pacific-rim carriers are working together to bring green ideas to air travel through ASPIRE (Asian South Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions), a plan designed to use technology to reduce carbon emissions and cut fuel.

Various carriers in the United States have been testing jets for ways to reduce fuel usage, the latest being United Airlines. The carrier recently tested new means of flying and landing in order to save fuel and reduce carbon emissions. The method is a controlled glide, known as a continuous descent approach. When tested by Air New Zealand, the continuous-descent-approach technique burned about 182 fewer gallons of fuel on the flight’s final approach into San Francisco, departing from Auckland.

The FAA and Boeing estimate that the 600 continuous descent approaches completed as part of the ASPIRE program have cut fuel use by one-third and reduced carbon emissions by more than 500,000 pounds.

Many airlines and airplane manufacturers are feeling the pressure from environmental groups to curb carbon emissions. Other tests include new biofuels, designed to decrease dependency on fossil fuels linked to global warming; new in-flight cruising, descent and approach techniques; as well as reducing idle time.

Source: Chicago Tribune, Airliners.net