What's Happening in Rosedale, MD…

Descents into Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) Thurgood Marshall Airport may be smoother and quieter than in the past, thanks to new technology.

Last month, BWI installed new satellite technology that will allow planes to descend to the runway from their cruising altitude in a “smooth, continuous arc”, rather than the method now in use, which is comparable to going down the steps of a staircase.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the technology is part of a system called NextGen, which is being installed at airports throughout the country. Funding for the improvements, which carry a $40bn price tag, comes from the airlines and the federal government. The system is being compared to something already in use among many people — GPS.

FAA administrator Michael Huerta said the point of installing NextGen at BWI is to make sure travelers get to where they are going on time, and in a safe manner. This is particularly important during the holidays, when air travel is extremely heavy.

The system, which uses what is called the ‘Optimized Profile Descent’, saves airlines flying time, reduces fuel consumption, and increases the likelihood that departures and arrivals will be on time. The use of the smooth descent will also decrease noise for residents near the airport.

BWI officials could work with brochure printers to create a booklet describing the advantage of NextGen. The brochure could be presented to airlines so they might consider flying into BWI.