Toward a performance-based NAS: Airports for potential application of PBN-enabled departure separation standards

Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) represents a cornerstone of the Federal Aviation Administration´s (FAA) Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). Improvements in aircraft navigation precision associated with PBN operations pave the way for the development of advanced spacing concepts that evolve currently applicable separation standards and improve operational efficiencies. The Equivalent Lateral Spacing Operation (ELSO) separation standard concept is currently under operational demonstration at The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). This paper reports on research carried out to identify other potential implementation sites where PBN-enabled standard concepts could be applied beneficially in the National Airspace System (NAS). It documents the various elements of the study, including the analysis of surveillance data of departure operations, the evaluation approach taken to identify candidate airports, the development of prototype procedure designs, and the methodologies applied to quantify potential operational benefits. The results demonstrate that system-wide integration of PBN-based separation concepts may enable beneficial transformations toward a performance-based NAS. In addition to the potential operational and environmental benefits, the results indicate that PBN-based concepts, if adopted as NextGen standards and applied in lieu of operational waivers, may also reduce FAA reliance on the waiver approval process for enabling beneficial operational changes and reduce the need for waiver status maintenance across the NAS.