Environment
- Environment Home
- E-Change Program
- Audit
- Aircraft Emissions
- Management of Aircraft on the Ground
- Predicting and Managing Delays
- Monitoring Australia's Airspace
- Continuous Descent Approaches
- Green Approaches
- Flextracks
- Computer Simulation
- Airspace Management from Gate to Gate
- The Benefits of Gate to Gate Management
- How Air Traffic Management has Traditionally Worked
- Some Causes for Airport Delays
- The Brisbane Green Project
- The Challenge of Growth
- What is RNP?
- Environmental Savings from the Brisbane Green Project
- Sequencing Efficiency
The Benefits of Gate to Gate Management
Fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions are improved by reducing flight times, choosing favourable flight routes that take advantage of tail winds and avoid bad weather, clearing runways and approaches quicker, and keeping aircraft at high altitudes longer where the engine efficiency is greatly increased.
It is perhaps not so well known that jet aircraft can use five times as much fuel at lower altitudes while waiting to land at an airport than cruising at high altitudes between airports. Aircraft have to carry extra fuel for the descent and for unexpected delays or diversions. Low altitude aircraft are much louder too, which can impact on those living around airports.
Gate to Gate management of flights means that passengers spend less time in the plane and in the air. It cannot prevent all delays but certainly reduces them. The environment benefits from reduced emissions, residents around the airport benefit from reduced noise. Airlines save fuel and costs and are capable of carrying more freight and passengers.