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When a plane leaves the gate, only to sit on the tarmac, joining a long queue of flights awaiting takeoff, it does more than frustrate travelers. Such runway congestion can keep a plane idling for an hour or more, burning unnecessary fuel. Now, engineers at MIT have developed a queuing model that predicts how long a plane will wait before takeoff, given weather conditions, runway traffic, and incoming and outgoing flight schedules.
The model may help air traffic controllers direct departures more efficiently, minimizing runway congestion, and encourage controllers to hold flights back during certain times of day, leading to significant fuel savings.Image credit: MIT News
