A big part of this is fuel. Back in the day, e.g. when the Air Traffic Controllers went on strike, airplanes carried a lot of extra fuel.
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Replying to @EmilyGorcenski
Fuel = weight, weight = more fuel spent, more costs. The perfect fuel load will be nearly empty when you land.
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Replying to @EmilyGorcenski
But back then, ATC was very manual, and it wasn't uncommon to have to circle in a holding pattern waiting for landing clearance.
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Replying to @EmilyGorcenski
This still happens from time to time, but thanks to modern technology and training, we have improved on this.
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Replying to @EmilyGorcenski
Controllers will know well in-advance when the flights are arriving and can begin landing procedures almost an hour before the plane arrives
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Replying to @EmilyGorcenski
Technologies like ERAM (En-Route Automation Modernization) can predict backups in-advance and deconflict in advance.
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Replying to @EmilyGorcenski
Check out these aircraft flying zig-zag patterns to add a handful of minutes to their flight:https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/29808/why-did-this-plane-fly-in-a-zigzag-pattern/29812 …
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Replying to @EmilyGorcenski
All of this requires intense, standardized coordination across the national airspace, i.e. exactly the thing primed for nationalization.
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Replying to @EmilyGorcenski
Privatization of ATC will make the NAS look more like the National Power Grid. A hopeless mess held together by duct tape and expertise.
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Replying to @EmilyGorcenski
I think there is a significant difference, in that there was basically no national grid pre-privatization.
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Yeah, for sure. But tech development isn't slowing down and differentiated adoption needs to be regulated somehow.
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