Southwest Airlines’ RNP Operations Progressing Slowly | Aviation International News

Southwest Airlines’ RNP Operations Progressing Slowly

Southwest Airlines’ ambitious fleetwide implementation of required navigation performance (RNP) operations is making slow progress

Southwest Airlines has flown RNP approaches on just 1 percent of its operations, according to Capt. David Newton, the airline’s senior manager of airspace. (Photo: Bill Carey)

October 3, 2011

Southwest Airlines’ ambitious fleetwide implementation of required navigation performance (RNP) operations is making slow progress. Since initiating flights in January using the precision approach procedures to save track miles and fuel, the airline’s use of RNP represents just 1 percent of its daily operations, said Capt. David Newton, Southwest senior manager of airspace.

Despite accepted benefits in saving fuel, mitigating aircraft noise and enabling approaches into geographically challenging areas, RNP “is just not the cultural norm,” Newton said. U.S. terminal airspace remains dependent on instrument landing system (ILS) approaches, and the air traffic controllers haven’t received the equipment and training to handle mixed fleets with RNP-capable aircraft.

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