Federal and regional officials signed an agreement to make Newark Liberty International Airport the nation’s first major hub to test the next generation of satellite navigation technology designed to reduce air traffic congestion.

At odds over how best to reduce flight delays, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Wednesday approved the agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration and Continental Airlines, Newark Liberty’s major carrier, to test the navigational system on 15 of Continental’s aircraft.

The Ground Based Augmentation System uses global positioning data instead of radar to pinpoint aircraft positions. Officials hope it will reduce congestion at the airport by allowing planes to fly closer together and land more efficiently without reducing safety. A Port Authority official said the system will be especially helpful in allowing more arrivals during bad weather.

It is hoped the technology, which lays the groundwork for the future of satellite-based air traffic control, will reduce flight delays at Newark. The airport has long been plagued by congestion and consistently ranks near the bottom of the nation’s busiest airports in terms of on-time arrivals.

“The Port Authority has worked to reduce delays at Newark Liberty, but the truth is many of the congestion problems there are beyond our control without implementation of ‘next generation’ technology,” Port Authority Chairman Anthony Coscia said in a statement. “Use of the GBAS system is a major step toward realizing the delay-reduction benefits of satellite technology in the 21st Century.”

(Source: NJ Star Ledger)