The FAA announced on Monday (Jan. 30) it has added 11 airports to the list of destinations that offer Optimized Profile Descents (OPDs). The procedure enables landing aircraft to maintain a constant descent profile, rather than the traditional “stair-step” format. By eliminating the need to repeatedly descend, then power up to level off (frequently several times per landing approach), OPDs are expected to save 90,000 gallons of fuel annually on average. That’s the equivalent of the fuel used by 62 Boeing 737s flying between New York and Cleveland, according to the FAA. The new procedures will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 27,000 tons annually.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/faa-adds-11-airports-to-those-served-by-fuel-saving-opd-procedures