Less Power to Them

According to Airways New Zealand main trunk manager Lew Jenkins, starting next month (April 2007) all long-haul jets will be gliding into Mangere (Auckland's main airport). That doesn't mean anything more than that they will be accommodated for a min fuel burn descent and approach by being provided with a continually recomputed idle-power glide-path that should see them save gallons of gas - as well as reducing pollutants. It's all part of a trial to see whether the fuel savings and emission reductions made possible by computerized ATC will be a tangible gain. According to the environmentally friendly Jenkins, the industry priority has shifted from on-time performance and air traffic control imperatives of optimum runway utilization and is now more towards ecological concerns and economy.