Reports from New Zealand say that jet aircraft could be gliding into Wellington Airport if a trial in Auckland is successful, according to Airways New Zealand, which provides air traffic control services.
Air New Zealand and Qantas Boeing 747s would be used for the trial, which would allow aircraft to reduce engine power to idle from the time they start their descent until shortly before landing.
Airliners already reduce power to idle during descent, but are often required to increase power to comply with air traffic control instructions to maintain speeds or level out briefly to fit in with traffic flows.
Airline Pilots Association Technical Director Hugh Faris told www.stuff.co.nz that passengers would not notice any difference, other than that the approach could be smoother and more comfortable with less sensation of acceleration and deceleration as a result of power changes, with pilots already flying the aircraft at idle as much as possible during descent to save fuel, applying power only after the landing gear was lowered and the flaps extended to overcome the extra drag, but the trial could provide a more efficient descent path.
Modern aircraft such as Air New Zealand’s new Boeing 777s are designed for glide approaches to save fuel and reduce emissions and Mr Faris estimated that an aircraft could save at least 500 kilograms of fuel using the glide approach into Auckland, compared with the current system.
That amounted to millions of dollars in savings over a year across the fleet and while Air New Zealand would not comment on the trial, CEO Rob Fyfe said last month that growing international concern about greenhouse gases posed a threat to tourism in New Zealand.
Report by The Mole from www.stuff.co.nz
