Qantas Gets New RNP Approach at Sydney in 22 Days

Qantas Airways received operational approval for a new RNP (required navigation performance) approach to Runway 16R at Sydney's Kingsford Smith in 22 days.

Seattle-based Naverus designed and developed the procedure and worked with Qantas, Jeppesen and Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to ensure normal operations on 16R during a period of scheduled maintenance of the runway's ILS.  After learning of the planned outage on February 14, Naverus was able to deliver the RNP approach, coded for the airline's flight management system, and ready for flight test, in 14 days.  CASA expedited the flight check and gave Qantas its approval to commence operations on March 8.

Naverus sees this accomplishment as a demonstration of how quickly RNP RNAV (area navigation) and other performance-based navigation procedures can be implemented, once all stakeholders have the processes in place.

Qantas, CASA and Naverus have apparently been able to do just that.  In 2005, CASA approved a Qantas RNP procedure at Queenstown, New Zealand.  And in January of this year, CASA granted Naverus a Procedure Design Certificate, establishing a process that supports rapid design and implementation.

Naverus says its has developed and deployed over 250 RNP RNAV procedures for both Boeing and Airbus aircraft flown by airlines that, besides Qantas, include Air China, Air New Zealand, JetBlue and WestJet.  03-22-2006.

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