Required navigation performance will improve safety at key hubs in airline's network
Continental Airlines is developing a series of required navigation performance (RNP) approach procedures to sustain or boost capacity and improve safety at key hubs throughout its network in the USA and overseas.
The first RNP and associated special aircrew and aircraft authorisation requirement (SAAAR) will be for runways 27 and 8R at Houston, Texas. The RNP target is 0.15, which means the aircraft must be within 0.15nm (278m) laterally of the track centreline with a 95% probability.
"This gives us a reduced minima of plus or minus 200ft [60m] on our decision altitude," says Continental manager of advanced navigation and test pilot Bill Vaughn. "We are also working with the FAA to develop criteria for RNP for parallel approach procedures with the instrument landing system."
Continental's plan is to clear the procedures for each end of Houston's three main parallel runways (9/27, 8L/26R, 8R/26L). Vaughn says the initial motivation is to "maintain capacity at Houston if an ILS goes down. Without these procedures we would go to a flow rate that equates to using just two runways."
The plan calls for new approaches to be developed for New York Newark, Guam and several sites in Continental's Central and South American network.
The first of these, in Quito, Ecuador should be approved by year-end, says Vaughn. Continental is working closely with Boeing on the RNP initiative, which will involve the upgrade of almost the entire fleet of 737s, 757s, 767s and 777s.
The only type not due to be upgraded is the 737-300, while the airline is developing the business case for the 737-500 fleet.
Continental flight standards managing director Dave Lynn says collaboration is also being studied with US-based satellite provider Naverus, which helped develop RNP approaches for Air China and WestJet. "They've done superb work in Canada and Tibet and we've been watching closely," he adds.
GUY NORRIS/LOS ANGELES
Source: Flight International
