Landing Approach System Reduces CO2, NOx Emissions By 20 Percent

Airlines operating Boeing 737s in Europe have been given the "green light" to use an optimized landing approach that is designed to significantly reduce the amount of fuel used during arrival and approach operations, thereby reducing CO2 and NOx emissions by roughly 20 percent compared to standard arrival procedures.

The "Advanced Continuous Descent Approach" (A-CDA), also known as the "Green Approach," is the result of GE Aviation's Systems division's (formerly Smiths Aerospace) participation in Europe's NUP2+ project, where select 737 aircraft in Sweden are allowed to employ GE's Flight Management System (FMS) to fly the aircraft at idle thrust from cruise through landing, according to the company.

"Our FMS on Boeing 737s is another example of how committed we are to developing technology solutions that not only benefit customers, but are also kind to the environment," said Dr. John Ferrie, GE Aviation systems president.

"Given the issues we face with growing air traffic congestion and increasing green house gases worldwide, the appropriate use of FMS to help remedy the situation is a clear and valuable option."

GE's FMS on the Boeing 737 features a 4-dimensional trajectory downlink for use by air traffic controllers to manage traffic flow using precision positioning and time guidance, known as Required Time of Arrival (RTA), to the runway threshold. Combined, these features enable the creation of flight profiles that are optimal for operators as well as the environment -- increasing efficiency, providing fuel savings, and dramatically reducing greenhouse gas and noise emissions.

Scandinavian Airlines already uses the FMS for operations into Stockholm. The carrier said its estimates annual benefits for flights arriving at Stockholm Arlanda airport, could reach $6 million in fuel savings with an additional $6 million in cost avoidance due to the increased efficiency and punctuality of aircraft using the FMS.

Flights over the North Atlantic will commence during the latter part of 2007, and will also involve aircraft manufacturer Airbus.

"Our concept and technology facilitate the efficient implementation of green flights and we believe that in the future additional airlines will adopt our ideas and work methods to include more airports primarily in Sweden and the Nordic region, and also have a greater impact in Europe," said the carrier.

The carrier said it expects the Green Approach to achieve annual emission reductions of more than 25,000 tons of CO2 and 87 tons of NOx; comparable to the yearly emissions of 5,100 automobiles.

FMI: www.ge.com/aviation, www.nup.nu/nup2plus, www.flysas.com