Flight delays are lately increasing significantly largely attributable to the increasing congestion in major airports as they try to accommodate more travelers. There has been a rising demand for air travel. The limiting factor is airport capacity which can hardly support a large number of scheduled flights. Various methods of intervention have been developed using modern aviation software to seek to contain this impasse.

1. COLLECTIVE DECISION MAKING BY AIRLINES

Airlines are usually called upon on a roundtable to work out a solution. This is usually, however, a compromise on the two concerning the scheduling of flights to ensure minimal congestion. The airlines will agree on a settlement strategy, a technique that generally favors incumbents over entrants and is usually a cost compromise and not usually beneficial for consumers.

2. AIRPORT EXPANSIONS AND TRAFFICK CONTROL SYSTEMS

Airport extension usually solves the problem of capacity scarcity while traffic control systems ensure flexibility in traffic flow in and out of airports. Investments can be done in expanding runways both quantitatively and qualitatively. Though this usually solves the problem in the short term. Expansion of other physical capacities such as gates is also necessary. Traffic control systems enhance flexibility and intensive use of the existing physical capacity. For instance detection of distances between planes and advising pilots correctly on effective landing times which reduces delays in landing. Pilots also communicate directly with nearby planes.

3. MANAGEMENT OF TAKING OFF AND ARRIVALS

Development of software that manages the landing of planes at airports. This software can be installed on computers on the cockpit. It automatically calculates speeds and positions of other planes which allow pilots to know the distances they must maintain between planes which ensure planes land in a more predictable and timely fashion. It also helps reduce fuel consumption, saves time and reduces the noise generated by aircraft in addition to reducing delays.

4. DATA SHARING AND COMMUNICATION

Better communication between planes helps reduce delays. This ensures proper scheduling of flights. Information on the accurate position of an aircraft on the ground and its arrival information makes it easier for traffic controllers and flight operators to handle more precisely hundreds of flights. This information can be cloud stored to ensure that everyone in different airports can access it immediately which saves time and costs. Ground position information is also helpful in detecting areas with constraints to flow of traffic which can later be rectified.

5. ACCURATE WEATHER FORECASTS

The presence of accurate 24-hour prediction in advance forecasts ensures that travelers and pilots are aware of existing conditions for flights. Passengers can be directed to other airports or postpone flights in poor weather.

Reducing airport congestion is usually important for airlines and should be a concerted effort between various stakeholders. It is evident that technology is going to play an important role. For efficiency in this process, decision making by airlines, efficient data sharing systems, accurate weather forecasts and traffic management are necessary. All this has been made possible by the modern aviation maintenance software.