In 2008 Clover and I were stuck in a Continental Airlines jet on the tarmac that was #58 for takeoff. It was over an hour from the time we pushed from the gate until we finally got our clearance and took off. During that time, our 737 and all the dozens of other jets in line with us all sat there burning jet A at a steady rate. I remember thinking that there has to be a better way. Well, now there is!PASSUR Aerospace owns a private radar system in the U.S. and Canada and it has developed a virtual takeoff queue. It's like the beeper you are given at busy restaurants, the kind that vibrates and lights up when your table is ready so that you don't miss the hostess calling you over the din of a busy crowd. In this system, each jet is digitally assigned a takeoff time slot ahead of time so that it (and you) can wait at the gate. This saves the jet a ton of fuel (literally) and passengers can stretch their legs in the terminal in preparation for getting strapped into the sardine can. JFK has used this system while one of its main runways has been down for construction and it has handled the same number of flights as a year ago and delays have gone down, despite using one less runway. A very cool idea and one, I would note, that came from a private company and not after a billion-dollar study by the FAA.
crankyflier.com/2010/04/26/jfks-virtual-slots-help-reduce-lengthy-ground-delays/
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