The FAA has implemented NextGen technology in the Washington, D.C. area, activating new satellite-based paths into the three busiest airports in D.C.’s airspace: Washington Dulles International Airport, the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. “These new and improved highways in the sky mean increased safety, more on-time arrivals and departures, reduced fuel consumption, and reduced pollution-causing emissions,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
The new paths use Optimized Profile Descents (OPDs), which allow airplanes to fly smooth approaches rather than the step-down paths traditionally used while flying into these busy airports.
