Nov. 22, 2021 - CLT has implemented a new NASA software program to help reduce delays, shift wait times to the gate and ultimately get travelers from gate to the runway to the sky with minimal delay.
The Airspace Technology Demonstration-2 (ATD-2) program predicts airport traffic conditions to determine the best way to operate aircraft both in the field and in the air.
“It is essentially an aircraft sequencing software used in the ramp tower that is given different amounts of input and predicts when to push the aircraft off the gate,” said CLT’s Chief Operating Officer Jack Christine. “Its original intent was to attempt to minimize taxi time, which in turn saves fuel, which in turn reduces emissions.”
From September 2017 to May 2021 the program was tested at CLT in partnership with NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration and American Airlines. During that period, more than 1 million gallons of jet fuel were saved. The amount of carbon dioxide emissions avoided was equivalent to planting more than 159,000 trees in an urban environment. Overall, passengers were spared 837 hours in flight delays.
CLT jumped at the opportunity to participate in the testing, knowing the innovation and positive effect the software could have. Over the last couple of years, the program's use has expanded, and it is now being used full time by the CLT ramp tower.
“It takes into account the schedule, and any type of delays that may happen at the gate,” Christine said. “If there is a maintenance or mechanical issue, the ramp tower folks input that information and it recalibrates when an aircraft should push off from the gate.”
With the help of the FAA, a final version of ATD-2 is preparing to launch at high-capacity airports nationwide. Charlotte is one of the first airports in the final program, which is known as Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM).
Implementation was delayed due to the pandemic, but TFDM is expected to be fully operational in the next year to 18 months.
“One of the challenges the industry has is providing enough infrastructure to handle the amount of traffic that the national air space system generates,” Christine said. “We operate at such high levels now in Charlotte with the airfield that we have available to us. We have to look for other ways to gain efficiency and this program has helped us do that.”