A NEW GPS-based system that claims to be able to reduce flight delays by maximizing takeoff and landing efficiency was put through its paces yesterday at Pudong International Airport, officials said.

The GBAS system, developed by Honeywell Aerospace, claims to be able to calculate the shortest possible approach and takeoff routes, which means interval times can be kept to a minimum and airlines can save fuel, the company said.

The system is also more effective than the ground-based radar technology developed in the 1950s and still in use at Pudong as it can improve aircraft operational safety, especially in bad weather, said Brian Davis, vice president of the company’s airlines section for Asia-Pacific.