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, increasing the total number of airports using these procedures to 64.
OPDs replace traditional "step-down" descents with a continuous, smooth path from cruising altitude to the runway, allowing aircraft engines to operate at near idle.
This initiative is projected to save over 90,000 gallons of fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 27,000 tons annually, contributing to the U.S. aviation industry's goal of net-zero 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.