Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand team up to fast-track air travel

Getting from A to B faster is generally the goal of most travellers, particularly for those flying long-haul in economy. Now, under a trial that started last month in Asia, shaving precious minutes off hours-long trips is a reality, depending upon what route a pilot chooses to take across the skies. Since early August, aircrew on selected routes between Singapore, Jakarta and a handful of cities in Australia and New Zealand have had the flexibility to choose the most direct and efficient path to get there. It’s about saving time but also fuel – limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Deviating from the fixed network of invisible highways that etch planes’ trajectories around the world and instead allowing a unique flight path for each plane may seem dicey, but it’s not as dangerous as it sounds. Here’s a look at how it works. Singapore, Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand have banded together to make better use of their airspace to trial quicker, more direct flight paths. The three-month trial started on August 5 and will be reviewed in November with a possible view to expanding it to more cities and airlines. The carriers involved are Singapore Airlines Ltd., Qantas Airways Ltd., Air New Zealand Ltd. and Garuda Indonesia and they’re able to take short cuts on 38 routes using what’s called user-preferred routing. Singapore Airlines has said that it’s using the trial on 15 routes, including to Sydney, Christchurch, Darwin and Perth. Garuda said it’s operating user-preferred routing on flights from Jakarta to Sydney and Melbourne. Other destinations involved include Brisbane, Cairns and Adelaide.<br/>