So the ATD-2 systems, both the single airport at Charlotte and the multi-airport in North Texas are
all focused on delay savings, reducing delay, time spent with engines running.
We're able though to turn those time-based benefits into environmental benefits by computing
engine fuel burn rates and so we can identify how much fuel is saved by the system and in turn
how much carbon CO2 emissions are saved because there's a direct correlation between
fuel burn and CO2.
So, the ATD-2 has a shared scheduler that's visible to air traffic
controllers, airline ramp towers, TRACON traffic management and that visibility allows us to share
information real time and therefore make better predictions on departure times through takeoff
times, taxi times, duration of climbout phases and then we can make better decisions regarding where
to sequence airplanes in overhead sequences, when to reroute them out different departure gates
therefore by being more efficient it's going to help reduce ground delays, reduce fuel and
emissions, increase efficiency and safety, and reduce controller workload.
And this system uh
just made it so much more efficient for for us to get out of Dallas. I'm hoping that this will
continue on to other cities where we could really make a difference in getting off a lot sooner.
So what ATD-2 is allowing us to do is to react to those changing conditions
and to continually optimize our route up until the point of when we take off
and so that requires significant coordination between the airlines and ATC, but it also
requires significant computational capabilities to say, evaluate my current
route given the current conditions and evaluate all the options that might exist to mitigate those
One of the biggest opportunities our country has to tackle climate change
is making transportation, especially aviation, more sustainable. The FAA and NASA have been working to
solve this problem with a new system that reduces delays for the flying public which means less fuel
use and lower carbon emissions. Until recently we didn't have predictable aircraft movement times.
Traffic managers had to build in bigger buffers which led to delays on the taxiways and runways
and increased fuel consumption and emissions.
Now with this new software the FAA's air traffic organization, airlines and airport ground
operations can determine the best time for a plane to push back from the gate and roll essentially
non-stop to the runway, then take off in a perfectly choreographed sequence. As planes depart
they join high altitude and route traffic with greater efficiency and less airspace restrictions.
The benefits include millions of gallons of fuel savings, reduced flight time, including waiting
time on taxiways, and the elimination of more than 75 000 tons of CO2 emissions every year.
The FAA will deploy this new surface management concept at 27 hub airports across the country.
The FAA, partnering with NASA, is committed to reducing carbon emissions for aviation.
Flying needs to be more sustainable and this technology helps us get there.