American Airlines saves about $8 million a year by using area navigation approaches at its Dallas/Fort Worthhub, routes that are more direct and require fewer radio calls between pilots and controllers.
The carrier does not fly required-navigation performanceapproaches in the USA, but is obtaining approval for an RNP approach into Quito, Ecuador.
Delta Air Lines has also started testing an RNAV continuous-descent approach at Atlanta using Boeing 757s during early morning hours when traffic is light. Joe Kolshak, executive vice-president for operations at Delta,says early gains with the procedure include saving 180kg (400lb) of fuel aflight, which would amount to 49 million fewer litres (13 million USgal) burned a year for all Delta flights at Atlanta, representing an annualreduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 45 million kg.
Source: Flight International
