Improved onboard navigation systems to save fuel, reduce emissions
The U.S. Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) recently announced new East Coast routes over the ocean, effective
June 5, intended to save millions of dollars in fuel costs, as well as reduce delays and emissions.
These new routes are made possible through standardized aircraft navigation, Required Navigation
Performance (RNP), with which approximately 95 percent of the aircraft using this airspace are
equipped.
Reducing the lateral separation between RNP-equipped aircraft from 90 nautical miles to 50
will increase the number of available routes by about 40 percent. Controllers will have the
flexibility to offer more efficient flight altitudes, allowing aircraft to reach destinations more
quickly. The FAA projects reductions in aircraft emissions of 3.9 million tons and fuel cost
savings between USD $400 and $700 million over a 15-year period.