Milestone
23 Dec 2018 CAA release PBN Operational End-State 2023  document

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is pleased to announce the release of the Performance Based Navigation (PBN) Operational End-State 2023: A Regulatory View document.

The document provides operators with a regulatory view of the future PBN operational environment in the New Zealand Flight Instrument Region (FIR). It describes how Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) operators will conduct PBN operations in future, including consideration of extraction and recovery operations in the event of a GNSS failure, as well as contingency operations in the event of a long-term GNSS outage.

As a signatory state of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), New Zealand has agreed to implement PBN. This means that PBN will be the primary means of navigation for IFR operations, moving away from conventional ground-based to satellite-based navigation means.  PBN will be based upon the US Global Positioning System (GPS) and will lead to a reduction in the ground-based navigation infrastructure.

The new PBN system is much more accurate and allows for shorter, more direct routes, as well as more efficient take-offs and landings. PBN focuses on the performance of the capability of the aircraft systems, not simply the equipment installed on the aircraft. It isn't just about the type of the navigation equipment, but rather how well the whole system performs.  Through the New Southern Sky programme, there is  clear evidence PBN is delivering significant safety, environmental, social and economic benefits to New Zealand.