Bobcat to cut Asia-Europe flight times
BANGKOK – Airline passengers from Asia will benefit from shorter flight times to Europe following the launch of a new regional air traffic management system.
Flight times could be shortened by up to an hour when Aerothai launches the system on Thursday.
The Bay of Bengal Cooperative Air Traffic Flow Management System (Bobcat) will cut travelling time for westbound flights departing from South Asia and Southeast Asia by easing air traffic congestion over Afghanistan.
The system will also cut aircraft fuel consumption.
Priti Hetrakul, president of Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai) said the company would service 50-60 flights a day by 30 airlines departing for Europe from airports in Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Malaysia.
The system controls flights entering Afghanistan airspace, and designates a suitable flight path, reducing the need for detours.
Aerothai developed Bobcat with approval from the International Civil Aviation Organisation and other regional governments, and had been operating it on a trial basis.
Aerothai will charge airlines a fee to offset expenses in training staff and maintaining the system, which now caters to more than 30 airlines.
Noppadol Saengngern, an Aerothai specialist in charge of the Bobcat project, said flying to Europe via Afghanistan was the shortest and safest route from South and Southeast Asia in terms of weather patterns.
Ian Jarrett
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