The US Federal Aviation Administration’s evaluation of Aireon space-based ADS-B in the Miami Oceanic and Caribbean area has been extended due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis, such as shutdowns and staffing issues. But Aireon CEO Don Thoma is optimistic that a new set of procedures will be agreed this year to support a rollout next year. The trial, which began in March 2020, is still in place, Thoma tells Runway Girl Network. “We have extended it due to COVID. As you can imagine, access to facilities has…

In recent years there has been a considerable focus on cutting emissions from aviation to stop global warming. Even though aviation only makes up around 2% of the total problem, the percentage is expected to rise as other contributors make positive changes. Airlines like British Airways have been trialling biofuels and investing in biofuel production plans. However, it’s not just the airlines that need to act to cut emissions in aviation. The UK’s skies are some of the most complex and crowded globally. This inevitably leads to delays, and therefore…

The UK’s air-traffic control authority has revealed that deleting the prescribed “highways in the sky” between Britain and the US went smoothly – as well as saving time and fuel and helping the planet. For over half a century, all planes flying across the North Atlantic have travelled along clearly prescribed tracks. This “Organised Track Structure” (OTS) enables air-traffic controllers working for the UK’s air-navigation provider Nats, and its counterpart Nav Canada, to channel aircraft along up to 12 tracks. Nats says they help to provide “a predictable operating environment”….

There was no fanfare or fireworks, but last Tuesday was a significant day in the history of transatlantic air travel. For the first time in decades and possibly since its inception (we’re trying to work out exactly when, but at least the 1960s) there were no westbound tracks across the North Atlantic. You might have seen my blog post last month about our intention to do away with the Organised Track Structure (OTS) across the North Atlantic on days when the current low levels of traffic allow. The aim is to understand…