WHY DON'T PLANES STAY ON TRACK?

Flight procedures on approach

Flight procedures dictate how aircraft approach and depart an airport. These procedures are also colloquially referred to as 'flight routes'. This is a misleading term, because in practice aircraft can deviate from the procedures. There are many reasons for such deviations.

flight route deviations
© DFS
  1. Aircraft are guided to the final approach using standardised procedures. These so-called transitions allow for an orderly flow of traffic even when there is a lot of traffic.

  2. Aircraft fly accurately – but not down to the nearest metre. In curves, the radius may vary depending on the weight, speed and pitch angle of the aircraft.

  3. If traffic permits, air traffic controllers can assign a slightly different route to the aircraft and thus shorten the flight path. This saves fuel.