Rerouting of flights at Houston to save airlines millions in fuel

[WASHINGTON] New flight routes into and out of Houston based on navigation technology from a US$42 billion US air-traffic modernisation project will save airlines millions of dollars in fuel in one of the programme's first measurable results.

Using satellite guidance adopted as part of the US Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) NextGen project, airlines will cut fuel consumption by as much as three million gallons a year, which would reduce carbon emissions by 31,000 tonnes, the agency said on Wednesday.

The shorter flights are part of the US effort to accommodate more traffic at overcrowded airports and help them rebound quicker after weather-related delays. The fuel savings are among the first concrete improvements from NextGen, which uses GPS-based navigation and Internet-like communications with aircraft to make flying safer and more efficient. The project is being phased in through 2025.