Planes at Palma Son Sant Joan Airport, Mallorca

Palma has the third highest percentage of continuous descent.

Andrew EdePalma28/09/2022 11:19
TW
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The continuous descent approach, also known as optimised profile descent, is a method designed to reduce aircraft fuel consumption and noise and which uses minimum engine thrust on the final approach to landing.

The state air navigation company Enaire reports that 38% of planes that landed in Palma last year used this method. This compared with a European average of 18%.

In all, Enaire authorised 36% such operations in Spain. At Malaga-Costa del Sol, the percentage was 47%, the highest percentage for large airports in Europe where the method is used. Gran Canaria was second with 43% and Palma third. Five airports in Spain - Barcelona-El Prat and Madrid-Barajas were the other two - were among the top eight of Europe's large airports.

In its strategic flight plan up to 2025, Enaire, in coordination with Eurocontrol, the airports authority Aena and airlines, encourages this type of operation for all time periods and especially at night. Given the importance of minimising noise as much as possible at night, Enaire is seeking to make continuous decent the default method when air traffic allows it.