The installation of new technology to reduce passenger delays was successfully completed at seven UK airports today.
Rolled out by the Transport Systems Catapult in partnership with air traffic services provider NATS, the technology is also expected to improve airspace management and efficiency and reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions – leading to estimated savings for the UK air transport network of more than £10 million over the next three years.
Previously only installed at Heathrow and Gatwick, Departure Planning Information (DPI) allows airports to provide real-time information about the departure of aircraft to a European flight information network which in turn enables national and European Air Traffic Control Centres to make much better assessments regarding the flow of traffic and arrival times of aircraft.
Carried out as part of the UK’s Future Airspace Strategy, the Transport Systems Catapult/NATS programme has now seen DPI capability installed at London City, Stansted, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Luton airports. The technology is due to go live on a staggered basis over the course of the next few months, but offline tests have already shown a significant improvement in the accuracy of information related to when planes take off and the routes that they subsequently follow.
