NextGen
What is NextGen?
What is NextGen?
NextGen is the transformation of how airplanes traverse the sky. It affects all of us: from the pilots that fly the planes, the passengers who enjoy the flights and the controllers who ensure the safety.
The thousands of planes overhead right now are flying indirect routes over radar towers. For close to six decades we have used this World War II era technology to transit the skies. NextGen is an upgrade to satellite-based technology.
Piece by piece we are installing this new system. It is a consistent and persistent effort to bring airplanes and airports online with NextGen technology.
Satellite navigation will let pilots know the precise locations of other airplanes around them. That allows more planes in the sky while enhancing the safety of travel. Satellite landing procedures will let pilots arrive at airports more predictably and more efficiently. And once on the ground, satellite monitoring of airplanes leads to getting you to the gate faster.
Already we are starting to see benefits. By the year 2018 we are expecting to see savings of hundreds of dollars per flight. Multiply that by the millions of flights that occur in a typical year and savings become extraordinary.
But most importantly, NextGen enhances the safety of what is already the safest airspace in the world. And it ensures our stellar safety history will continue in the same tradition.
What is NextGen? A new era of flight.