FAA Improving Air Traffic in Detroit Skies

The Federal Aviation Administration is working to modernize air traffic control in the Detroit area.

Delta Airplane

Bre’Anna Tinsley/ WDET

The Federal Aviation Administration is looking to improve the way planes communicate with airports in the Detroit area. The “Metroplex project” aims to transition the air traffic control system from using ground-based facilities to satellite technology to re-map flight routes.

Barry Cooper is the Regional Administrator of the FAA’s Great Lakes Region. He says the project has already been implemented in Houston.

“The result of that has been a cumulative savings of about 650,000 air miles every year, in terms of the flight miles that are flown in and out of that airspace in and around Houston,” Cooper says.

Cooper says the project has also reduced carbon emissions by about 30,000 metric tons in Houston. He says a series of public meetings is set to begin in September to further discuss the plan and receive community input. 

Author

  • Bre'Anna Tinsley
    Bre'Anna Tinsley is a reporter for Detroit Public Radio, 101.9 WDET. She covers city government and housing, as well as co-hosting the "Detroit Evening Report" podcast.