AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND — A major initiative to help cut airline flight times, burn less fuel and reduce harmful carbon emissions is to be presented today by the Federal Aviation Administration at San Francisco International Airport.
Amid the roar of jet engines, acting FAA Administrator Robert Sturgell will speak upon the arrival of an Air New Zealand flight from Auckland that will use a host of new technologies and procedures designed to save time and fuel.
FAA and airline officials hope the normally 12-hour, 6,500-mile flight will be shorter in duration and cut fuel use by hundreds of pounds compared with similar flights. It would mark the first of several tests that -- if successful -- could change the way airlines fly locally, nationally and overseas.
"This is going to be a big one for business," Sturgell said Thursday. "As a former airline pilot myself, I can tell you this will change how things work from gate to gate."
With oil prices still hovering at more than $100 a barrel, the FAA initiative is likely to attract significant attention from airlines, particularly from U.S. carriers looking at billions of dollars in losses this year because of high fuel expenses.
For passengers, the initiative could mean less waiting on the tarmac before takeoff and after landing, shorter flights and perhaps fewer flight delays, FAA officials said.
But Joe Brancatelli, editor of business travel website Joesentme.com, questioned whether the initiative would help curtail airlines' practice of packing flights into certain hours of the day, which he believes is a major factor in flight delays and wasted airline fuel.
"It's like stuffing 6 pounds of sugar in a 5-pound bag and then complaining when the bag breaks," he said. Spreading flights throughout the day is "not sexy like the FAA initiative, but it's solving this boring practical stuff that will save more fuel."
The Air New Zealand flight, a regularly scheduled service with hundreds of passengers, is being conducted in partnership with FAA and New Zealand aviation officials.
The FAA is working with Air New Zealand because the airline has been at the forefront of finding new ways of making flights more environmentally friendly and fuel efficient.
Aside from some frequent fliers, most passengers are unlikely to notice much of a difference.
