A green demonstration flight from Los Angeles to Singapore has resulted in a reduction in flight time of 30 minutes, with a saving of 10,686kg of fuel and a reduction in carbon emissions of 33,769kg. The Singapore Airlines flight, as part of the Asia and Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (ASPIRE) scheme, employed air traffic management best practices and was the world’s first multi-sector demonstration green flight.

During the departure phase, the aircraft was given priority clearance from air traffic control for taxiing and departure. The time taken for the aircraft to get from the parking bay to the runway was minimised by assigning it the shortest possible route, and the aircraft was given an unimpeded take-off without restrictions on speed or aircraft level.

At the cruising phase, User Preferred Route and Dynamic Airborne Reroute procedures were employed, allowing the pilot to capitalise on prevailing wind patterns to alter the aircraft’s flight path to shorten its flight time and achieve greater flight efficiency. In addition, Performance Based Navigation procedures such as a reduction in the lateral and longitudinal separation among flights were employed, allowing the aircraft to use preferred flight paths and levels.

Finally, at the arrival phase, the Optimised Profile Descent technique was used to allow the aircraft to fly with engines set at idle in continuous descent from a high altitude to land at Changi Airport. Upon landing, the aircraft was also assigned the shortest possible route from the runway to the parking bay to minimise fuel consumption.

Yap Ong Heng, director general of Singapore’s air navigation service provider CAAS, said: “The significant reductions in flight time, fuel consumption and carbon emissions provide benchmarks which air navigation service providers and airlines can work towards in the air transport industry’s collaborative commitment and efforts to cut down carbon emissions.”

CAAS says it will now work with airlines to see how the procedures and techniques used for this ASPIRE flight can be applied to regular operations.

jason.holland@ubmaviation.com