Flights Beijing

By Peter Salmonford

 

New technology has the potential to increase airspace capacity, boost airport capacity through more efficient use of runways, reduce delays and provides billions of dollars in savings to air carriers. Obviously, consumers would benefit tremendously from lower air fares and increased availability of flights.

The Air Transport Association estimates that the major air carriers are losing about $3.5 billion every year because we do not fully utilize new air traffic management technologies such as free flight. Given the uncertain financial condition of the industry, this is a situation that we simply cannot allow to continue indefinitely.

Of course, air safety must always be our primary consideration, and I am aware that reservations do exist about moving too quickly with this technology. Our efforts to improve airspace capacity and efficiency should not in any way come at the expense of safety.

I hope the FAA can be honest with us on how they are progressing with the new air traffic control system. Our capacity to see the benefits of a free flight routing system is dependent largely on modernization of the air traffic control system. I find it disturbing that we continue to hear about long delays, cost overruns and cancellation of systems, and this simply cannot continue.

In my capacity as researcher and writer, I had the pleasure of visiting the Boston Center, air traffic control facility located in Nashua, New Hampshire, last year. The center controls all air traffic in New England, down in New York and for 150 miles out in the Atlantic ocean, and I talked with people who managed the flow of air traffic on a day to day basis, and I was impressed by the professionalism and the dedication.

I also saw firsthand the equipment that they use, which by anyone’s standards is sadly out of date and in desperate need of modernization. It became readily apparent to me that the FAA must do everything possible to see that the modernization process is completed.

Peter Salmonford is a keen fan of all forms of transport, and likes to write about antique and modern vehcles. Take a look at his other articles on hydrogen conversion, the benefits of an electric car kit and using browns gas in your own car.

Find Flights To Beijing

The Truth About Free Flight
By Peter Salmonford

 

The FAA says its national route program is free flight, but I don’t think that is really accurate. FAA’s national route program lets some aircraft fly their preferred routes sometimes, but they Eire still too controlled by air traffic management, and some argue that such extensive control is no longer necessary with the new technologies that we have available.

Today, some of the witnesses will argue that FAA, attempting to improve air traffic, is guaranteed failure if it relies on building upon the current air traffic control system. In their opinion, it is the current system that is the problem. It is so outdated that even if new technology is fully applied, it could only produce marginal benefits. They argue that with new technology and modem aircraft’s capabiUties, the current air traffic control system should be radically restructured.

Our present system of air traffic control dates back to the late 1950’s and early 1960’s when air travel was very different than it is today. We had pistoned-powered aircraft, not jets; only a few people were flying; and only a small number of aircraft were flying at any one time. Moreover, at that time airports didn’t have any capacity problems, hubs didn’t exist, and airport parking was easy. But that is all history.

The FAA did well by us then. The system it crafted essentially still serves us today, providing undeniably safe air transportation, as it always has. But now it is argued that the FAA, by building on that system and not considering any other method, limits the improvements that are possible in safety, capacity and efficiency.

Peter Salmonford is a keen fan of all forms of transport, and likes to write about antique and modern vehcles. Take a look at his other articles on hydrogen conversion, the benefits of an electric car kit and using browns gas in your own car.

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