American space agency NASA has created an app that could cut down on flight delays, as well as reducing the environmental impact of commercial flight.
The Traffic Aware Planner (TAP) app is loaded onto a tablet, which many pilots already use in the cockpit for charts and flight calculations.
By shaving valuable minutes off flights times, the new app could help airlines to run flights more efficiently, cutting down on passenger delays, as well as reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
The new software has already been tested on a private jet and will be used by Virgin America and Alaska Airlines over the next three years.
Described by researchers as a 'super-app', the TAP system won’t require any changes to the roles or responsibilities of pilots meaning that it can be implemented quickly.
If initial trials are successful, NASA predicts that the new app could revolutionize commercial flight, making it significantly more efficient and cutting down on irritating delays.
