NATS and NAVS Canada, the air traffic control services responsible for Great Britain and Canada, no longer define specific routes for their pilots to follow across the Atlantic, but instead allow them to select their routes “solely on the basis of the optimal route, speed and trajectory”. These flights are used as a test for the airlines to see how they can better serve the routes. Fuel-saving discoveries may result in a reduction in the cost of an airline ticket, as fuel represents up to 30% of an airline’s cost of operating the airline. With flight times and ticket costs being two of a traveller’s biggest problems, this is welcome news for grounded travelers around the world.
