New GE Flight Path
The world has become increasingly aware of the environment and the damage being done; with businesses and the public looking towards eco-friendly alternatives in their daily lives. And with these concerns in mind, the aviation industry has been developing new routes and technology to contribute to a cleaner world and reduce the cost to travelers. A recent flight made by American Airlines marked the start of a new era in aviation. It is hoped that this will pave the way to future success and development.
The world has become increasingly aware of the environment and the damage being done; with businesses and the public looking towards eco-friendly alternatives in their daily lives. And with these concerns in mind, the aviation industry has been developing new routes and technology to contribute to a cleaner world and reduce the cost to travelers. A recent flight made by American Airlines marked the start of a new era in aviation. It is hoped that this will pave the way to future success and development.
GE Aviation has been a part of a significant project run by Naverus that forms part of GE Aviation, which has led to this historical flight taking place. The project was undertaken to enhance the NextGen project that the FAA has implemented to modernize airspace, challenging Naverus to develop a flight path that makes use of RNP, or Required Navigation Performance Technology, which not only reduces the amount of CO2 emissions released into the air by aircraft, but to streamline air traffic and shorten the flight time on various journeys. This technology and planning goes hand in hand with finding flight paths that reduce the noise levels of aircraft for communities and trying to solve the problem of airport congestion.
American Airlines showed their support of the project by conducting the first flight traveling along the new GE Aviation flight path. Taking on the role of passenger was one of the pioneers of RNP technology, Steve Fulton. By following the precise course set out by GE Aviation, the American Airlines Flight 1916 made history. Steve Forte, the General Manager of Naverus, commented on the success of their first flight by saying: “Modernizing the U.S. air traffic management system is a monumental task that requires the best efforts of government and private sectors alike. Today we showed how third-party navigation providers, like GE, and airlines, like American, are helping accelerate these improvements.”
With this great achievement comes the excitement of looking toward the modernization of aviation in America and innovations that are yet to come. Eric Waldron, administrator of Bradley Airport where the flight landed, also spoke to the press, commenting: “Thank you to GE Aviation, American Airlines and our partners at the Federal Aviation Administration for bringing this additional safety feature to Bradley which benefits everyone, most especially our customers.”