In particular aviation planners are focusing on ways of cutting the amount of time planes spend queuing to take off and land, in the process burning large and unnecessary amounts of fuel (IATA estimates that airlines could cut their annual CO2 emissions by 12 percent if air-traffic control operations were more efficient).

CNN: Green wing:?can technology make flying more environmentally friendly?

Some aviation safety experts have questioned whether FAA has the in-house expertise to oversee the safety of cutting-edge technologies that haven't been in planes before.

NPR: FAA Approves Resumption Of Boeing 787 Flights