GE Aviation is providing technical support to air navigation service provider Airports Authority of India (AAI) to accelerate the deployment of Required Navigation Performance (RNP) flight paths throughout India. Through a U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) grant, GE Aviation and AAI will work together to deploy the efficient procedures at India’s Bengaluru, Mangalore and Guwahati airports to improve airspace efficiency.
GE will also work with India’s regulator Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to support RNP operations approval for an Indian airline. Once the flight paths are deployed and in use, a report documenting the actual benefits of the flight paths will be published.
India’s aviation sector is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world according to the Center for Aviation (CAPA). In the last decade, domestic air traffic has more than quadrupled to 60 million while international traffic more than tripled to 40 million. The use of RNP flight paths can alleviate traffic congestion, excess fuel burn, noise levels around airports and flight delays from increased traffic.
“India has more than 50 mid-sized airports, including Mangalore, which could benefit immediately with track mile and fuel savings from RNP. In the long term, India could realize 80,000 tons of fuel and 252,000 tons of CO2 reduced annually by implementing RNP across the country,” said Giovanni Spitale, General Manager, GE Aviation’s Flight Efficiency Services.
Bengaluru is the nation’s fourth busiest airport for overall passenger traffic and can benefit from the capacity improvements promoted by RNP paths. Aircraft operating into Guwahati, located in the remote and mountainous northeast area of India, can benefit from the schedule reliability of RNP, furthering the economic growth and social inclusion agenda for the region.
Nalin Jain, Head, GE Aviation and Transportation, South Asia said, “GE is equipped to partner with India in the growth of its aviation industry. RNP will help the industry in enhancing its accuracy and performance by reducing delays in flights and air traffic congestion.”
