Have you ever dreamed of shorter and safer flights? i4D is turning that dream into reality

In the last decade, we observed a huge increase in air traffic which brought many challenges to the aeronautical industry. With the sky in continental Europe becoming more crowded every day, many of us have endured endless waiting for a flight departure. However, with the introduction of the 4D Trajectory Data Link Service, shortly called “i4D,” we can expect a smoother travelling experience in the near future. To cope with the plane overflow in most European airports, a top-notch landing management system was required. i4D constitutes a major breakthrough in air traffic management as it enables accurate prediction and plane flow management. Through communication between planes and the ground, the i4d system allows a smart queue management of planes, resulting in more punctual flights. Consequently, inconveniences caused by the congested sky will be significantly diminished. Beyond exalting our traveler experience, i4D will bring notable key benefits:

• Less fuel burn by aircraft
• Flight delay decreased, resulting in reduced flight time and reduced waiting in the airports
• The environmental emissions are reduced due to improved fuel consumption and shorter flight duration
• The environmental noise is strongly diminished
• The increased predictability of the arrival time allows better planning by airborne and ground entities
• The pilot workload is reduced implying an increased safety

The i4D system has been successfully tested by a team composed of Airbus, Eurocontrol, Honeywell, Indra, NORACON and Thales. The Airbus A320 test aircraft has demonstrated the ability of i4D to effectively manage the air traffic flow in a flight from Toulouse to Copenhagen and then Stockholm. In the very near future, our traveler experience will be greatly enhanced with shorter, safer and more environment friendly flights!

Learn more about the i4D test flight and technology.