Airline Says The Procedures Could Initially Save $16 Million Annually

Southwest Airlines' Pilots began using Required Navigation Performance (RNP) flight procedures Tuesday at 9 airports nationwide, with two more to follow this week. RNP is satellite-based navigation that brings together the accuracy of GPS, the capabilities of advanced aircraft avionics, and new flight procedures. The airline's pilots and dispatchers now follow these new flight procedures to fly specifically designed satellite-based navigation approaches to many airports. The primary airports with efficient RNP procedures include Birmingham, Boise, Los Angeles, Chicago Midway, Oakland, Oklahoma City, West Palm Beach, Raleigh-Durham, and San Jose. Amarillo and Corpus Christi are set to begin RNP approaches on January 14.

Southwest said in a news release Tuesday that the program to reduce environmental impact with a more efficient operation, and to assist the FAA with NextGen initiatives, is the culmination of a four-year project with partners Boeing, GE, and Honeywell. "RNP sets the stage for Southwest to continue doing its part to conserve fuel, improve safety, and reduce carbon emissions and Greenhouse gases, while simultaneously taking advantage of the high-performance characteristics that exist in an airline's fleet," said Captain Jeff Martin, Southwest's Vice President of the Operations Coordination Center. "The efficiencies RNP introduces help Southwest be a good neighbor while also maintaining our low fares."

With RNP/NextGen procedures designed at 11 Southwest airports, the Company's projected savings is $16 million a year, with an anticipated savings of more than $60 million per year once all Southwest airports have efficient RNP procedures.

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"RNP is a significant step in the future for the NextGen Air Traffic Control system," said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "This milestone culminates substantial efforts by our Company working with the FAA to position Southwest as a leading participant in a modernized air traffic control system."

In addition to modifying 345 Boeing 737-700s with new flight display software and ensuring that all new aircraft are RNP ready, this cross-company effort involving Technology, Maintenance & Engineering, and the Operations Coordination Center also featured intense training efforts to support achieving this milestone.

"I am very proud of our Flight Operations Team for the design, training, and implementation of NextGen procedures, including training more than 5,900 Pilots to fly Primary Flight Display Navigation Display (PFD/ND) procedures," said Captain Chuck Magill, Vice President of Flight Operations. "This extensive training allows us to capture RNP procedures as well as provide flexibility in any new aircraft platform we might use in the future."

FMI: www.southwest.com