With promises of hundreds of millions in airline savings and increased capacity, the FAA said Area Navigation (RNAV), which affords better access and flexibility for point-to-point operations, is saving operators $8.5 million annually at Dallas Fort Worth and allows for 11 to 20 additional departures per hour. Results are similar for Atlanta with an additional 10 hourly departures, said FAA, where Delta (DAL) reports savings of $36 million annually. The news came as the FAA announced it is developing a roadmap, using Performance Based Navigation (PBN) to support greater capacity and less congestion. The program focuses on the acceleration of two key elements of performance-based navigation at U.S. airports: Area Navigation (RNAV) and Required Navigation Performance (RNP).
“Performance-based navigation is an important part of the NextGen modernization plan, and it isn’t just happening here in the States,” FAA Administrator Marion Blakey said at last week’s media briefing. “RNAV procedures create more lanes in limited airspace. Pilots can reroute around weather. RNAV helps aircraft avoid longer routes. With RNAV, we’ve implemented 155 arrivals and departures to date at 38 airports, with 42 more to be published by the end of the year. RNP is making the same kind of headway. RNP takes advantage of an airplane’s on-board navigation capability to fly a more precise flight path into an airport. RNP increases airport access during marginal weather. Alaska Airlines (ALK) reported more than 980 “diversion saves” in 2006 due to RNP. We have 37 RNP approaches in place at 17 airports, with another 34 approaches that should be in place by the end of the year. On May 10, we plan to publish 10 more RNP approach procedures at Atlanta and three at DFW. We plan to publish at least 25 approaches next year. On March 6, Delta received approval for its 737-800 fleet to fly RNP approaches. It joins Horizon, Alaska and Continental (CAL) airlines, which also have RNP approvals. The entire Southwest fleet is going to be equipped for RNP. This is a tipping point for performance-based navigation. Bottom line: Performance-Based navigation is the right thing at the right time. Performance-Based navigation allows us to move more planes safely and efficiently. For the passenger, that’s the best news of all.”
The aviation community is using the FAA’s work to leverage advances in flight deck navigation capability to meet the demands of future air travel. The procedures currently providing the most significant benefits to operators include the RNAV departures at Dallas-Ft. Worth and RNAV departures and arrivals at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the RNP Special Aircraft and Aircrew Authorization Required (SAAAR) approaches at Washington National Airport, and Alaska Airlines’ special RNP SAAAR approach procedure into Palm Springs.
PBN establishes precise approach, arrival and departure procedures at airports. It increases efficiency by providing smoother traffic flow, saves fuel, and benefits the environment by reducing the effect of aircraft noise and emissions. Allowing aircraft to fly the same path consistently lets the FAA design procedures that avoid noise-sensitive areas. The FAA and the aviation community are working together to make performance-based navigation a reality.
Horizon is the first regional to receive RNP approvals. It also increases airport access during marginal weather, reducing diversions. Horizon Air received FAA approval to fly RNP.3 nm SAAAR approaches at Portland International Airport using the Universal Avionics Flight Management System. In March, Delta s received approval to fly RNP approaches using their 737-800 fleet. Continental has also received RNP approvals.
The FAA predicts that passenger demand for air transportation will increase an average of 3.4 percent each year through 2017, totaling one billion passengers in that time period. General Aviation will grow, with the piston aircraft fleet increasing at an average annual rate of 1.4 percent, and business jets growing at an average rate of four percent per year. Growth in scheduled and general aviation aircraft will increase point-to-point and direct routing, increasing the need for greater system flexibility to handle peaks in traffic demand, convective weather, military operations, and security needs. By 2017, traffic will peak at the nation’s busiest airports, at a level 30 to 40 percent higher than today. The introduction of very light jets and the operation of unmanned aircraft will create new complexities.

RNAV Sites:
FY 2005
Dallas-Fort Worth International, TX
Dutch John, UT
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, GA
King Cove, AK
McCarran International, Las Vegas, NV
Minneapolis-St. Paul International, MN
Philadelphia International, PA
Portland International, OR
San Francisco International, CA
Sedona, AZ
Ted Stevens Anchorage International, AK
Theodore Francis Green State, Providence, RI
Washington Dulles International, DC

FY 2006
Afton, WY
Arctic Village, AK
Baltimore/Washington International, MD
Boca Raton, FL
Cleveland-Hopkins International, OH
Dallas-Fort Worth International, TX
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, FL
George Bush Intercontinental/Houston, TX
Hana, HI
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, GA
John F. Kennedy International, NY
Logan International, Boston, MA
Los Angeles International, CA
McCarran International, Las Vegas, NV
Miami International, FL
Nantucket Memorial, MA
Naples Municipal, FL
Newark Liberty International, NJ
Oakland International, CA
Orlando International, FL
Palm Beach International, FL
Phoenix Sky Harbor International, AZ
Reno/Tahoe International, NV
Ronald Reagan Washington National, DC
Santa Monica, CA
Seattle-Tacoma International, WA
Sitka, AK
Theodore Francis Green State, Providence, RI
Willow, UK

RNAV Sites Planned for FY 2007
Anaktuvuk, AK
Atka, AK
Baltimore/Washington International, MD
Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena, CA
Charlotte/Douglas International, NC
Chicago Midway International, IL
Chicago O’Hare International, IL
Covington/Northern Kentucky, KY
Fort Meyers, FL
Glendale, AZ
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, GA
Holyoke, CO
Los Angeles International, CA
McCarran International, Las Vegas, NV
Memphis International, TN
Minneapolis-St. Paul International, MN
Newark Liberty International, NJ
Nucla Hopkins Field, CO
Perryville, AK
Phoenix Sky Harbor International, AZ
Portland International, OR
San Diego-Lindbergh Field, CA
Santa Ana/John Wayne, CA
Santa Monica, CA
Seattle-Tacoma International, WA
Tampa International, FL
Tucson International, AZ

RNP Procedures:
FY 2005
Palm Springs International, CA
Portland International, OR
Ronald Reagan Washington National, DC

FY 2006
Chicago Midway International, IL
Friedman Memorial, Hailey, ID
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, FL
Gary/Chicago International, IN
Guam International, Guam
Honolulu International, HI
John F. Kennedy International, NY
Long Beach (Daugherty Field), CA
Newark Liberty International, NJ
Palm Springs International, CA
Portland International, OR
Quito, Ecuador
San Francisco International, CA
Tampa International, FL
Tucson International, AZ

RNP Planned for FY 2007
Baltimore/Washington International, MD
Bishop/Eastern Sierra Regional, CA
Dallas-Fort Worth International, TX
Dekalb-Peachtree, GA
Friedman Memorial, Hailey, ID
George Bush Intercontinental/Houston, TX
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, GA
Honolulu International, HI
Jackson Hole, WY
Long Beach (Daugherty Field), CA
Miami International, FL
Minneapolis-St. Paul International, MN
New York/LaGuardia, NY
Ontario International, CA
Ronald Reagan Washington National, DC
San Francisco International, CA
Washington Dulles International, DC
Will Rogers World, OK