( CNN ) -- The world of Formula One may seem an unlikely source of inspiration for a major carbon-cutting initiative , but technology used for coordinating pit-stops is primed to slash emissions from airports across the globe . According to Britain 's National Air Traffic Services ( NATS ) , more than half the planes landing at London 's Heathrow airport are stuck in circles overhead -- often for 20 minutes at a time -- as they wait for its congested runways to clear . NATS says the carbon cost of this pile-up in the sky is an estimated 600 tons a day . And this is where McLaren , the hugely successful Formula One team behind former world champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button , have come in with an unexpected solution . Over the years the company has developed modeling software to analyze live racing data and visualize a range of potential scenarios -- allowing pit crews to make strategic decisions in the blink of an eye -- all in an effort to get their cars back out onto the racetrack milliseconds ahead of their competitors . It 's this ground-level tracking technology that could hold the key to unlocking congestion , reducing CO2 emissions by streamlining the way aircraft make their own pit-stops once they 've landed -- dropping off passengers , refueling and departing again with F1 efficiency . This similarity between a motor race and an airport runway was first observed by Peter Tomlinson , head of aviation data solutions at NATS , while attending a workshop on cross-industry collaboration at McLaren 's UK technology center three years ago . `` It became clear that the pit-stop in a race track , with cars coming in , changing tyres and refueling and going out again actually is pretty similar to an aircraft arriving at the airport , parking at the gate , passengers getting off , refueling and going out , '' said the air traffic veteran , who has over 30 years experience in the industry . The beauty of McLaren 's system is that it reduces the complexity of a racetrack into a circle `` so at the point of decision , presentation of the data is very simple , which allows the engineer in a very stressful environment to make the right strategic decision and also see the data in a very clear , crisp format , '' said Tomlinson . For the last three years NATS has been working with McLaren 's engineers to map Heathrow 's taxiways and runways -- much as they do a Formula One track . But now , says Tomlinson , in place of a race strategist the system is operated by Heathrow 's air traffic control , and instead of a circle the airport 's network of runways and taxi lanes are represented by a simple rectangle -- enabling planes to be guided around the airport with greater ease and accuracy once they 've landed . The collaboration has been `` groundbreaking '' according to Geoff McGrath , managing director of McLaren Applied Technologies -- the F1 team 's tech division . `` To my knowledge this is a first -- NATS has invested in this because there is nothing like it available , '' he added . The system is now in its `` proof of concept '' stage and hopes are high that it will be used by airports around the world within a year . `` Think in terms of the environmental benefits of that , '' enthused Tomlinson . `` Large airports with about 1300 to 1400 flights a day - if you save just one minute of taxi time per flight on average , that equates to one day 's worth of taxi time - and that 's how much we could save using McLaren 's technology . ''
London 's Heathrow airport hopes to cut C02 emissions by using motor racing technology . Software developed by F1 's McLaren reduces waiting time in pit-stops . Britain 's National Air Traffic Services , software could be use to cut air congestion .