The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) manages and operates the National Airspace System (NAS), a significant national resource. However, the demands on this system are continuously growing, and changing technologies provide the opportunity to improve system effectiveness and efficiency. Today, 23 of the country's largest airports are plagued by more than 20,000 hours of delay per year, which is projected to grow to 40 major airports by 2000. Nationally, air traffic delays cost the economy an estimated $6 billion in passenger delays and $3 billion in airline operating costs in 1990. At current trends, these costs will increase 50 percent within 10 years. Aviation and related industries are also challenged by energy and environmental factors, Currently, 45 percent of air carrier aircraft operating costs are for fuel, a large portion of which is from imported oil. While reducing fuel usage is a priority in terms of energy conservation, it is also an increasingly critical environmental issue, based on recent findings relating to nitrogen oxide emissions at high altitudes. Given the projected increases in aviation activity and stringent environmental standards being proposed in Europe and elsewhere, noise and engine emissions reductions are essential to the national aviation industry's viability.


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    Title :

    Federal Aviation Administration Plan for Research Engineering and Development. 1995


    Publication date :

    1994


    Size :

    203 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English