Potential Fuel Savings of Specific ATC System Improvements.
Abstract
Procedural restrictions are often imposed by the current ATC system upon the choice of routes and altitudes that the airspace user may fly. ATC-imposed delays before departure, while en route, or before landing are also a common experience. To the extent that such restictions and delays impose fuel or time penalties, they are of concern to today's fuel/cost conscious airspace user. To the extent they are needed to resolve actual conflicts between aircraft competing for the use of common air-spaces or runways, they are essential for maintaining air safety. However, to the extent that they simply 'separate aircraft from otherwise empty airspace or runways', they impose unnecessary and costly penalties on the airspace users. This report analyses the results of two recent FAA studies of these problems and also presents some previously unpublished case studies in attempt to better understand the causes and consequences of specific restrictions and delays to IFR flight movements. The report also estimates the potential for fuel savings if the ATC system could be improved to the point where only those restrictions and delays actually needed to insure flight safety are actually imposed. These potential fuel savings are allocated as the estimated benefits of five specific ATC system functional improvements now being considered by the FAA. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1982
- Accession Number
- ADA126449
Entities
People
- Richard A. Rucker
Organizations
- MITRE Corporation