Operational benefits of parallel offset routes

Abstract

A lateral offset from a jet airway, enabled by performance-based navigation (PBN), permits a faster aircraft to fly at its preferred speed instead of matching the speed of a slower aircraft in front. This paper presents the results of an analysis of pairs of aircraft with mismatched speeds obtained from the Traffic Flow Management System in 2014. Flights that could reduce their time to destination were identified geometrically. The ability of the current human-centered system to accommodate speed preferences is derived. Once the current system's performance is subtracted, the result is an estimate of the total annual benefit of PBN offset routes in reduced flight time.