Environment is the new imperative for Performance Based Navigation
Naverus PBN Summit message is loud and clear: Procrastination is not an option
[Nov-10-2008]
The aviation industry must accelerate implementation of advanced airspace management technologies to counteract pressure from a public increasingly concerned about the environment. That’s the message Chris Manning, former chief pilot at Qantas, delivered to 150 aviation experts gathered in Seattle at the industry-focused forum for airlines and air traffic management organizations that are deploying Performance Based Navigation (PBN) worldwide.
PBN relies on GPS guidance and advanced flight management systems to guide aircraft on very precise vertical and horizontal tracks. When airlines and air traffic management organizations take advantage of the technology, they can effect reductions in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The new PBN-based procedures are an integral part of the FAA’s NextGen Airspace modernization program and of similar efforts around the world.
Qantas, an early adopter of PBN, has clearly demonstrated its benefits, Manning said. Nevertheless, as a whole, the aviation industry has been slow to adopt. The lack of full implementation is costing the industry more than $8 billion a year in wasted fuel, he said.
Environmental benefits, even more than fuel, will accelerate the pace of change, predicted David Behrens, Director Safety, Infrastructure and Strategy for the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Fuel savings and the environment are inextricably linked, he said. Every ton of fuel saved reduces 3.16 tons of Carbon Dioxide released to the atmosphere. Manning told participants that because people are concerned about the environment, the general public will have little patience for aviation organizations that delay implementing PBN technologies.
In a major “green” initiative, Southwest Airlines is implementing Performance Based Navigation across its entire system. Naverus is designing Required Navigation Performance procedures that will allow Southwest to get maximum benefit from its investment. Southwest’s Senior Director of Flight Operations, Jeff Martin, told conference participants the procedures will save fuel and will reduce the fleet’s CO2 emissions an estimated 155,000 metric tons per year. Martin said Southwest is 100 percent committed to PBN, with first routes coming on line in 2009. “Those of you who play poker know what I mean when I say, ‘We’re all in,’” Martin said.
In his opening remarks, Naverus CEO Steve Forte told conference attendees that PBN has proven its benefits in applications around the world. “The time to adopt Performance Based Navigation is now,” he said. “The only question is, ‘How much gas are we going to waste between now and then?’”
The PBN Summit continues Tuesday with presentations from airline experts with experience implementing PBN techniques in New Zealand, China, Sweden, Canada, and Australia and in the United States. The conference website is available at: www.pbnsummit.org.
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