Flying in and out of the Houston area got even easier for pilots last month, thanks to a multi-stage plan from Houston TRACON.

Airspace was expanded and new routes were added in late March, as part of a program called the Houston Area Air Traffic System or HAATS.

The changes are part of an overall effort to address projected traffic increases in the Houston area, and included raising the ceiling of Houston TRACON to 16,000 feet in the main approach airspace and expanding its main airspace boundaries by about 15 miles.

The end result is the creation of a dual route system, where controllers have the option of guiding low performance prop and turbo prop planes into one arrival path, while reserving the other path for large and heavy aircraft.

“HAATS Phase 3B delivers efficiencies for one of our busiest metro areas in the Central Service Area,” said Nancy Kalinowski, vice president of System Operations. “The improved service it provides is the result of years of effort from a talented team that spanned the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and is a great example of the strength of our cooperative spirit.”

The changes also streamline efficiencies for departing aircraft as well.