To accelerate the implementation of Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) procedures in China's route network, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) will officially apply the new technology on 6 trunk routes from Jun. 27.

The 6 routes comprise of Beijing-Shanghai, Beijing-Guangzhou, China-South Korea, Beijing-Kunming, Shanghai-Wuhan, and Wuhan-Chengdu-Lhasa. In accordance with relevant official document of CAAC, the PBN implementation will be officially effective from 0:00 a.m. Jun. 27, and there will be a transition stage for the PBN operation before that day.

During the period of transition, airlines which apply for using the above routes are required to literally and precisely fill out their flight plans, though they are free of the restriction of PBN airworthiness and operation accreditation.

In order to solve the problems found in the transition stage as soon as possible, all air traffic management units of CAAC are asked to check the flight plans and aircraft PBN conditions, as well as continuously track and analyze the PBN operation on the above routes.

Once the official operation kicks off, airlines shall complete relevant aircraft airworthiness and operation accreditation and fill out flight plans earnestly as well.

It is learned that implementation of PBN procedures on the routes will obviously bring a lot of benefits. On the one hand, it can improve systems' overall navigation ability and reduce aircraft's dependency on ground navigation equipments. On the other, the technology will promote Chinese route planning and normalize Chinese navigation operation. Meanwhile, it paves a solid way for an all-round implementation of PBN to explore and optimize air routes.

According to sources from air traffic management units, as of now, PBN has been applied on partial routes like western route L888 and the arrival and departure routes at Yushu Airport. It is predicted that China's civil aviation will apply PBN on 70% routes before 2016 and gradually on all routes after 2017.

PBN represents a shift from sensor-based to performance-based navigation. PBN specifies that aircraft RNP and RNAV systems performance requirements be defined in terms of accuracy, integrity, availability, continuity and functionality required for the proposed operations in the context of a particular airspace, when supported by the appropriate navigation infrastructure.