FAA Tests Trajectory-Based Operations

The concept could minimize delays and disruptions in air travel, and reduce fuel burn and carbon emissions by up to an estimated 10 percent, the FAA said.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, June 30, 2023 at 01:16 PM ET

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Trajectory Based Operations (TBO) is a global air traffic management means of enhancing strategic planning through the use, sharing, and management of aircraft trajectories. [FLYING file photo]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA, in collaboration with aviation authorities from Thailand, Singapore, and Japan, successfully conducted a six-day live flight demonstration of Trajectory Based Operations (TBO).
TBO is a global air traffic management concept that enhances strategic planning by using, sharing, and managing precise aircraft trajectories to achieve optimal flight paths across multiple regions.
The demonstration proved that coordinating trajectory information across multiple countries improves safety and efficiency, minimizes delays, and can reduce fuel burn and carbon emissions by up to 10 percent.
TBO aims to shift air traffic information exchange from voice-based to data-driven communication, allowing for better planning and awareness of flight changes across international airspaces.

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Airliners can take you all over the world, but keeping track of those flights can be a challenge—one that requires a global air traffic management approach.

Earlier this month, the FAA and their counterparts in Thailand, Singapore, and Japan conducted a six-day live flight demonstration to apply Trajectory Based Operations (TBO), which, according to the FAA, is a global air traffic management means of enhancing strategic planning through the use, sharing, and management of aircraft trajectories.