The exponential increase in civil air traffic has catalyzed the development of better navigation technologies and improvements in air traffic services. This allows more air routes to be created, aircraft separation distances to be reduced without compromising safety, and new airfield approach patterns to be created to take full advantage of the technological advances. One of the important technologies is Performance Based Navigation (PBN), which includes Required Navigation Performance (RNAV). Aircraft equipped with RNAV capability is capable of flying an accurate three dimensional path in space between two defined points while providing a specified level of navigation accuracy that maintains the level of safety.

GVH Aerospace was presented with the challenge of assessing the customer’s Boeing 737 Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) and proposing changes to its System of Maintenance (SOM) to gain approval for RNP-AR (Authorisation Required) operations including RNP-AR approaches. This includes assessing the BBJ maintenance and operations against an approved Beoing 737NG RNP-AR baseline. The aircraft avionics architecture was assessed as was the SOM and areas where compliance cannot be demonstrated were identified. GVH Aerospace put forward the recommendations for addressing the non compliances including the implementation of a data monitoring system and flight operations safety analysis. The recommendations put forward a concrete plan for the customer to begin preparing the B737 BBJ for authorisation to perform RNP-AR operations.

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