Air traffic controllers in Canada and the UK have agreed to allow airlines to set their own paths across the less-crowded Atlantic skies.

Until now, planes flying between Europe and North America have used a handful of designated pathways, the aerial equivalent of motorways, but today's reduced traffic has encouraged a change.

 

NATS and NAV Canada now won't designate specific routes on days when traffic allows, letting airlines choose direct routes based on optimum route, speed and trajectory.

 

Fuel and flight time savings are expected to result.