Beating the Weather

Delayed flights waste time for the flyer, and time and money for the airline. Happily for both, a new computerized tool could get many weather-delayed flights off the ground.

A prototype used in New York last year cut delays by 2,300 hours and saved $7.5 million in operating costs. It’s called RAPT, the Route Availability Planning Tool, and was created by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Relying on satellite and radar systems, RAPT will help air traffic controllers make more-informed decisions as to whether or not a particular flight is advisable in bad weather.

[Ed. Note: Correction: In the 9/27 issue of Early to Rise we reported that RAPT, the Route Availability Planning Tool, will help airlines determine if flight is advisable in poor weather. We would like to note that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, not Michigan, deserves credit for the invention.] 

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