Definition
Tailored Arrivals Procedures (TAPs) and Continuous Descent Arrivals (CDAs) are arrival procedures designed to allow an aircraft to descend from cruise altitude to the runway in a smooth, near-idle-power descent, with minimal level-off segments. Air Traffic Control issues a clearance — often uplinked via data link — that contains the full arrival path and altitude/speed constraints, allowing the flight management system to fly an optimized descent profile. The result is reduced fuel burn, lower emissions, and quieter operations compared to traditional step-down arrivals.
Plain English
These are arrival procedures that let a plane glide down from cruise to the runway in one continuous descent, instead of stepping down in stages. The pilots get the whole arrival plan up front, set it in the autopilot, and the aircraft flies down efficiently with the engines pulled back near idle.
Context Anchor
Seen in NextGen discussions about more efficient instrument arrivals and in descriptions of modern arrival procedure design.
Derivation
Tailored means custom-fitted to the specific aircraft, weather, and traffic conditions of the day. Continuous Descent contrasts with the older step-down method, where aircraft descend in stages and level off repeatedly — burning extra fuel each time engines are spooled up to hold altitude.
Why Pilots Care
Reduces fuel burn, lowers emissions, and decreases community noise exposure during arrivals.
Analogy
Think of coasting a car down a long hill in neutral versus repeatedly braking and accelerating on the way down. The smooth coast uses far less fuel and is quieter — that's the idea behind a continuous descent.
Grounding Statement
Picture an aircraft leaving cruise and descending steadily toward the airport instead of being repeatedly leveled off along the way.
Intuition Check
Continuous does not mean the airplane is never adjusted or that air traffic control cannot change the plan. It means the descent is designed to avoid long level segments when conditions allow.
Example Sentence 1
The crew accepted the tailored arrival uplink, loaded it into the FMS, and began a continuous descent from cruise altitude with the throttles near idle.
Example Sentence 2
TAPs/CDAs routes are assigned by ATC to improve arrival efficiency during peak traffic periods.