Ahmedabad: A month back the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had initiated the 'Continuous Descent Operation' (CDO) to bring down carbon emissions generated by flights at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
In month-long trials, the AAI was successful in saving 97,298 kg of fuel which resulted in the reduction of carbon emission to the tune of 3,00,000 kg. The trials involved all flights landing at the Ahmedabad airport. Every day 65 to 70 flights land at the city airport.
When CDO is in operation, arriving aircraft descends continuously, to the greatest possible extent by employing minimum engine thrust. "The pilot is given the descent and the lateral path beforehand, the pilot follows the path and lands in much less time," said Prashant Patel, joint general manager (airport traffic management) at Mumbai Airport, the brain behind the CDO. "The ATC staff has to only monitor the descent instead of instructing the pilot."
13/06/13 Piyush Mishra/Times of India
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In month-long trials, the AAI was successful in saving 97,298 kg of fuel which resulted in the reduction of carbon emission to the tune of 3,00,000 kg. The trials involved all flights landing at the Ahmedabad airport. Every day 65 to 70 flights land at the city airport.
When CDO is in operation, arriving aircraft descends continuously, to the greatest possible extent by employing minimum engine thrust. "The pilot is given the descent and the lateral path beforehand, the pilot follows the path and lands in much less time," said Prashant Patel, joint general manager (airport traffic management) at Mumbai Airport, the brain behind the CDO. "The ATC staff has to only monitor the descent instead of instructing the pilot."
13/06/13 Piyush Mishra/Times of India
