Australia's Qantas Airways has deployed Required Navigational Performance (RNP) technology on all its Boeing 737-800 aircraft that fly to and from Melbourne, helping it to achieve fuel savings.
RNP uses GPS to help pilots optimise flight approach and departure tracks, says Qantas's group executive government and corporate affairs David Epstein.
"This results in shorter flight paths, which reduces the impact on the community as we don't have aircraft in the air as long, and reduces Qantas' carbon footprint by limiting the amount of fuel emissions we are generating," says Epstein.
He adds that RNP technology helps aircraft navigate in poor weather.
"It is often the case that our RNP equipped Boeing 737-300s can land in bad weather, where other aircraft can't."
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
