Media

March 2013: The Irish Aviation Authority’s (IAA) Point Merge airspace initiative, a unique innovation that improves safety and provides extra environmental and cost efficiencies for airlines, has won the Overall Logistic and Transport Excellence Award at the Irish Logistics and Transport Awards ceremony this week.

The IAA Point Merge project won the Innovation in Action Award category and was judged as “a transport initiative that has demonstrated true innovation and a distinct new method to meet a challenging issue”.  The IAA was then declared as the outright winner from across all 16 award categories, which had a total of 77 finalists.

Implemented in December 2012, Point Merge uses new techniques to assist airlines to fly in Continuous Descent Approaches (CDAs) to the main Dublin Airport Runway (28). This is more environmentally-friendly and, depending on the aircraft size, these CDAs permit the aircraft to reduce their fuel burn by up 250kg of fuel (approximately €170.00 at aviation fuel prices) and 750kg of CO² per arrival.

Mr Peter Kearney, IAA Director ATM Operations and ATM Strategy said that the Authority had successfully introduced Point Merge as part of its strategy to develop new, innovative air traffic management solutions which deliver safe, efficient and cost effective services to its airline partners.

(L-R) Donal Handley, Ronnie Fallon, David Usher,  Gary Foran, Peter Kearney, Paul McCann, Billy Hann, Terry Symmans, Philip Hughes and Kevin McGrath.

“We are delighted with these awards, and grateful to the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, the Award sponsors, and the judging panel for recognising our success. We are committed to seeking new ways to be even more innovative and to provide further environmental and cost efficiencies for our airline customers. Point Merge is a terrific example of that commitment,” he said.

Point Merge is a different and more advanced system compared to the traditional air traffic control techniques, which are employed to date at airports throughout the world.

It has almost eradicated the need to put aircraft into traditional circular holding patterns at Dublin, thereby providing savings to airlines by reducing their fuel burn, providing increased environmental benefits by cutting CO² emissions, as well as reducing delays to passengers.

It also benefits both airline pilots and air traffic controllers by harnessing the capabilities of both cockpit systems and air traffic control systems and by reducing their workload through relatively simplified procedures.

Point Merge is the result of over two years’ intensive research and development by a dedicated IAA project team in conjunction with EUROCONTROL and supported by our civil and military partners in the UK-Ireland FAB.

‘I am very proud of the professionalism, commitment and diligence of the IAA during the two years of development and planning, and very grateful for the support from a number of key external partners.’ - Peter Kearney, Director ATM Operations and ATM Strategy.

ENDS

For more information contact:
Tony Lane
Assistant Communications Officer
Tel: 01 603 1199 / 086 791 1864 Email: tony.lane@iaa.ie