Aviation View | Volume 1, Issue 3

11 AVIATION VIEW VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3 NEW SOFTWARE CAPABILITY GETS PLANES ROLLING DIRECTLY TO T RUNWAY, REDUCING FUEL BURN & TAXI TIME T he U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NASA announced the completion of research and testing on a software capability that calculates gate pushbacks at busy hub airports so that each plane can roll directly to the runway and to take off. The FAA plans to deploy this capability as part of a larger investment in surface management technology to 27 airports. An animation of how the software works can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=XD16pCQWYeA. “The future of flight must be more sustainable and environmentally friendly,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “This new capability as part of a flight merging system has a double benefit: It reduces aircraft emissions and ensures air travelers experience more on- time departures.” The innovative capability, which will be part of the FAA’s Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM) program, was developed by NASA and tested for nearly four years by the FAA’s NextGen group, airlines’ airport operations, FAA radar facilities in Charlotte and Dallas/Fort Worth and the Atlanta and Washington, D.C., centers handling high- altitude en route flights. “NASA is developing transformative technologies that will revolutionize the aviation sector as we know it,” added NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “The proof is in the pudding. This air traffic scheduling technology enhances aircraft efficiency and improves dependability for passengers every day. I’m excited that the software NASA developed for air traffic This new capability as part of a flight merging system has a double benefit: It reduces aircraft emissions and ensures air travelers experience more on-time departures OPENING L INES