FAA Adds Optimized Profile Descents at 11 Airports

The new airport approach routes are expected to smooth landings while also saving about 90,000 gallons of fuel annually, according to the agency.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 01:28 PM ET

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The FAA announced new Optimized Profile Descents (OPDs) for 11 U.S. airports.[Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has implemented new Optimized Profile Descents (OPDs) at 11 additional U.S. airports, bringing the total number of airports with OPDs to 64.
OPDs replace traditional "step-down" descents with a smoother, continuous descent path, allowing aircraft to operate with engines at near idle.
This change is projected to save millions of gallons of fuel (over 90,000 gallons annually for the new airports) and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 27,000 tons annually.
The OPD program is a key part of the Aviation Climate Action Plan, supporting the U.S. aviation industry's goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

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One of the first lessons an airplane pilot learns when they take an airplane into the sky is that there has never been an airplane that stayed stuck up there. They all come down eventually, often on established instrument routes that have step-downs.

Since 2014 the Federal Aviation Administration has been adjusting these routes in the name of fuel saving and emissions reduction. This week, the FAA announced new Optimized Profile Descents (OPDs) for 11 U.S. airports.