American Airlines has begun developing its own Required Navigation Performance (RNP) approaches, after being certified by the FAA to design its own procedures for selected airports.

The airline has already designed and demonstrated RNP approaches at Fort Worth Alliance Airport, where American has one of its major maintenance facilities.

RNP approaches have significant safety and efficiency benefits for carriers. Some airlines, such as Southwest, are contracting with third parties to design RNP approaches for their own use. American, however, wanted to design them itself – “we felt we had the expertise in-house,” said Brian Will, head of American’s Boeing 737 and 777 programs. Now the carrier is authorized to create and publish RNP approaches elsewhere.