Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air Pursue 'Greener Skies' Over Seattle
July 08 2009 - 8:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Project with Port of Seattle, Boeing and FAA aims to reduce
aircraft fuel consumption, emissions and noise through improved
airport approach procedures SEATTLE, July 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
-- This summer Alaska Airlines began testing next-generation flight
procedures at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) that
will allow the airline and its sister carrier, Horizon Air, to
reduce their environmental impact during airport approaches. Dubbed
"Greener Skies," the project in cooperation with the Port of
Seattle, The Boeing Company and the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) is focused on using satellite-based flight guidance
technology pioneered by Alaska Airlines to descend more efficiently
and reduce aircraft fuel consumption, emissions and noise in the
Puget Sound region. The airline is seeking FAA approval for the
procedures, which could ultimately be used by all properly equipped
carriers at Sea-Tac. Testing began June 16 on an Alaska Airlines
Boeing 737-700 aircraft during a noncommercial flight. Using
satellite guidance technology called Required Navigation
Performance (RNP), the plane flew a consistent and controlled
approach to Sea-Tac with pinpoint accuracy, reducing flight-path
length, ground noise and greenhouse-gas emissions, and saving time
and fuel. The efficient, continuous descent approaches at Sea-Tac
enabled by this next-generation technology will benefit Seattle in
several ways. Alaska Airlines estimates the procedures will cut
fuel consumption by 2.1 million gallons annually and reduce carbon
emissions by 22,000 metric tons, the equivalent of taking 4,100
cars off the road every year. In addition, they will reduce
overflight noise exposure for an estimated 750,000 people living
within the affected flight corridor. "These improved flight
procedures at Sea-Tac will help Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air
minimize the environmental impact of our flying on the communities
we serve," said Gary Beck, Alaska's vice president of flight
operations. "With FAA approval, we hope the procedures will be
available to all carriers and gradually integrated into the Seattle
air traffic system. This project could also become a blueprint for
expanded use of next-generation technology at more U.S. airports."
Typically, commercial aircraft approach follow a lengthy approach
pattern and series of stair-step descents before landing. Using RNP
technology and a continuous descent, also called an optimized
profile descent (OPD), aircraft can descend from cruise altitude to
an airport runway along a shorter, more direct flight path at low
power. "This effort aligns with the Port of Seattle's commitment to
operate the greenest airport in the nation," said Mark Reis,
managing director of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. "With
Alaska and Horizon representing nearly half of the daily operations
at Sea-Tac, this program not only benefits our regional environment
but also helps the airlines to operate more efficiently at Sea-Tac.
We are working closely with Alaska, Boeing and the FAA to ensure
these benefits are realized by our community as quickly as
possible." Alaska Airlines pioneered RNP precision flight-guidance
technology during the mid-1990s to help its planes land at some of
the world's most remote and geographically challenging airports in
the state of Alaska. RNP provides computer-plotted landing paths
with pinpoint accuracy by using a combination of onboard navigation
technology and GPS satellites. It improves safety and reliability
in all weather, and reduces reliance on ground-based navigation
aids. Alaska Airlines currently uses FAA-approved RNP procedures at
23 U.S. airports. Alaska Airlines is the only major U.S. air
carrier with a completely RNP-equipped fleet and fully trained
crews. Alaska is also the first airline approved by the FAA to
conduct its own RNP flight validation. Horizon Air's fleet soon
will be fully RNP-equipped as well. RNP and OPD are part of the
Next Generation Air Transportation System, the FAA's plan to
modernize the National Airspace System through 2025. This
initiative will increase airspace capacity and efficiency while
improving safety and reducing environmental impacts through the
replacement of legacy ground-based equipment with new
satellite-based technology and aircraft navigation capabilities. As
part of the initial Alaska Airlines RNP operational approval team,
Boeing began installing RNP guidance technology on its aircraft in
1994. Currently all Boeing production airplanes are RNP-capable,
and solutions are available to upgrade the in-service fleet. The
Boeing Company is continuing this pioneering tradition by working
with Alaska Airlines, the FAA and the Port of Seattle in
implementing RNP solutions and the Greener Skies program for
Sea-Tac. "Boeing is committed to working with Alaska Airlines and
the Port of Seattle to increase efficiency in the way their
airplanes approach and depart from Sea-Tac and other airports
across the country," said Per Noren, director of Airport
Infrastructure for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "Using these
advanced technology solutions, airlines around the world can save
hundreds of pounds of fuel per flight, which is a significant step
toward further reducing emissions from aviation." Planning and
testing of the procedures will continue through the remainder of
the year. They will be integrated into Alaska Airlines and Horizon
Air's commercial operations at Sea-Tac pending FAA approval, which
the airlines hope to obtain in 2010. Alaska Airlines and Horizon
Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together serve
more than 90 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the
Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked
"Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network
Carriers" in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 and 2009 North
America Airline Satisfaction Studies(SM). For reservations, visit
alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska
Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at alaskaair.com/newsroom. Note to
news media: High-resolution images of the technology are available
for download from the Alaska Airlines Newsroom image gallery at
http://www.alaskaair.com/newsroom. Broadcast footage is also
available by contacting Alaska Airlines Media Relations.
DATASOURCE: Alaska Air Group CONTACT: Bobbie Egan of Alaska
Airlines, +1-206-392-5134; or Perry Cooper of Port of Seattle,
+1-206-431-4923; or Terrance Scott of The Boeing Company,
+1-206-766-2949; or Allen Kenitzer of Federal Aviation
Administration, +1-425-227-2004 Web Site: http://www.alaskaair.com/
Copyright