FAA’S INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT TEST DEMONSTRATION SUCCESSFUL
August 21, 2023
On June 30, 2023, FAA announced that its international flight test demonstration was successful. The test involved a joint effort between the FAA and air traffic experts in Japan, Singapore, and Thailand to determine the possibility of being able to predict where an aircraft will be and at what time using Trajectory Based Operations (“TBO”). This involves countries sharing precise data on an aircraft’s trajectory, including latitude, longitude, altitude, and time information, and then sequencing the aircraft’s flight routes to achieve the optimal flight path across multiple regions while also factoring in conditions like weather, air traffic, and airspace closures. In the announcement on the test, FAA noted that the goal is to have air traffic controllers shift from sharing flight information using voice-based exchanges to sharing the information more broadly, primarily using data, which will allow each country to be immediately aware of how changes in other countries will affect a flight and be able to better plan for when an aircraft enters its area of responsibility. FAA also noted that the successful test showed that sharing and coordinating on trajectory information between countries can improve safety and efficiency, and could ultimately minimize flight disruptions, reduce travel costs and times, and reduce carbon emissions by about 10%.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com 202-659-6622) or Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com 202-659-6665).
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