Air Transport

Performance-based navigation (PBN) provider Naverus has received a letter of qualification from the US FAA to design and validate required navigation performance (RNP) flight paths in the US.

PBN encompasses a broad range of technologies that reduce reliance on ground-based navigation, and allow aircraft to operate on a defined path using onboard equipment and procedures.

An element of PBN, RNP uses GPS and new procedures to fly a precise predetermined path loaded into a flight computer, with a specific degree of lateral accuracy. Required navigation performance guarantees the aircraft does not stray from the path and supplies provides additional navigational flexibility, such as curved paths.

The approval Naverus received today completes more than two years of effort to develop new rules, processes and oversight mechanisms to certify the development and testing of public procedures by Naverus in the US.

Naverus has designed more than 300 optimised RNP procedures around the world, and has been selected to develop RNP procedures at 28 airports in Australia.

"With this letter of qualification, Naverus can begin to apply what we've learned in other parts of the world to help accelerate NextGen in the U.S.," says Naverus CEO Steve Forte.

Naverus explains it has worked with Southwest Airlines to develop its ability to fly RNP procedures, and also highlights other US carriers including Delta, United and US Airways that have done significant work in building RNP capability.