Continuous Descent Approach

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Continuous Descent Approach is a method by which aircraft approach airports prior to landing, and is designed to reduce fuel burn and noise compared with a conventional approach. It involves maintaining a constant 3 degree angle during descent, until meeting the Instrument Landing System. Continuous Descent Approach starts ideally from Top of Descent, i.e. at cruise altitude (typically 37 000 feet), and allows the aircraft flying its individual optimal vertical profile down to runway threshold with engines at idle (e.g. Stockholm). Some airports apply constraints to this individual optimal profile such as imposing a constant descent angle (e.g. 3 degree) or starting the CDA only after having left the holding pattern (e.g. London, at about 7000 feet) due to Air Traffic Management constraints.

National Air Traffic Services air traffic control in the United Kingdom will always give a distance to run to pilots, at major UK airports. With this figure and the aircraft's altitude, pilots can calculate their rate of descent and perform a Continuous Descent Approach.

The UK, and London Heathrow Airport in particular, are the world's leaders in Continuous Descent Approach.^{[citation needed]}

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