Excess Flying Time in the National Airspace System

Abstract

This article presents an assessment of the inefficiency of airborne aircraft traveling in the U.S. airspace. The authors define excess flying time for each flight examined and finds an average of 5.5 to 7.5 minutes per flight. Given the average cost of $45.30 per minute of flight, potential savings are great if inefficiencies in the air are eliminated. Topics outlined in the research include the mean excess flying time throughout the NAS as a pool of benefits. The analysis of the datasets is described, using Enhanced Traffic Management System data, filtered to include only flights whose origin and destination airports are both in the coterminous U.S. (CONUS). Selection of data is described, along with methods of calculation and adjustments for elements such as weather and wind. Additional study is needed on further understanding how weather affects excess flying time, the routes that are more efficient, identifying the airlines that are more efficient and attempting to isolate practices that contribute to those savings, determining if fluctuations occur and focusing on effects that NAS enhancements could have.