Required Navigation Performance (RNP)
Today, aircraft are directed through the system by air traffic controllers using point-to-point navigation. This approach often results in an inefficient flight path that ignores the built-in technological capability of modern airliners. RNP is a way for pilots to navigate between waypoints in the sky, independent of ground-based navigational aids, and is essential to National Airspace System (NAS) transformation efforts. It is a powerful tool that allows users to efficiently and safely tap into airspace that today is unused. For more information, see ATA's 2006 Economic Report, section on Required Navigation Performance (RNP).
Last Modified: 6/7/2008