Imperial Valley News

San Francisco, California - At San Francisco International Airport this morning, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger welcomed United Airlines' groundbreaking green flight from Australia. The first of its kind to touch down in California, the demonstration flight is part of the Asia and South Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (ASPIRE) partnership to increase flight efficiency by reducing fuel consumption and aviation greenhouse gas emissions.

"Today's innovative green flight is another fantastic partnership to reduce our environmental footprint and it is perfect that it is landing here in the great state of California, where we have led the nation in fighting climate change," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "This amazing coordination on the international level shows the world that working together we can fly smart and move aviation into the future while curbing our greenhouse gas emissions."

The new technologies pioneered by the ASPIRE collaboration between the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Airservices Australia, Boeing, United Airlines, Quantas and Air New Zealand could save more than two thousand gallons of fuel and cut more than 25 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions on a single, tans-Pacific flight.

The new technologies allow air traffic controllers and pilots to communicate mid-flight to adjust flight paths, upload new flight plans and calculate a continuous decent arrival. These new developments, available for trans-Pacific flights, maximize flight efficiency and reduce fuel consumption and noise pollution. Today's United Airlines demonstration flight 870 from Sydney to San Francisco utilized this new communication technology which allowed the pilot to access up-to-the-minute fuel data, priority takeoff clearance, less restricted airspace and new arrival procedures to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.