Starship Launch Can Delay Airlines Launch Up To 2 Hours

Starship has postponed the launch of the Florida airline (photo: X @spacex)

SpaceX's Starship rocket launch could actually harm airlines in a number of countries. This was revealed directly by the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA).

In the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) shared by the FAA, it was revealed that Starship's launch and landing could stop flights at a number of airports. This problem affects some of the busiest airports in the United States.

A number of airlines affected include Orlando International, Miami International, Tampa International, and Fort Lauderdale / Hollywood International. The flight delay is estimated at 40 minutes to 2 hours for the launch and landing of the Super Heavy booster.

Meanwhile, for Starship launch and landing, the delay time felt by airlines is estimated to reach 40 minutes to an hour. The FAA revealed that route diversions and flight cancellations are very likely to occur as a result of the operation.

To reduce the risk, the FAA will set the Aircraft Hazard Area (AHA) above a possibly affected zone. This zone can cover flight routes over the Atlantic Ocean, Mexico Bay, Caribbean, and airspace in several Central American countries, depending on Starship's flight trajectory.

The EIS draft notes that the size of the closure of airspace will vary on every Starship mission. This size is expected to shrink along with the increasing reliability of the vehicle. The FAA will interact with various aviation organizations to develop a safe launch trajectory.

Tampa International Airport spokeswoman Emily Nipps, according to TechCrunch, revealed that their airport has not been involved in procedural discussions with the FAA or SpaceX. However, they have been notified that the discussion will take place soon.

The FAA stated that it has a mitigation strategy to reduce operational burdens, including coordinated route diversion, dynamic scheduling, and time-based traffic flow management. The FAA will use a device called the Space Data Integrator to process flight data in real-time.

This tool helps shorten the duration of the closure of airspace. With each Starship launch, the FAA will get more data to improve its situational capabilities. They are also developing other tools to increase efficiency and security.