The flight operations consulting services of Quovadis will be used in a challenging new setting with the Airbus subsidiary’s selection to design Required Navigation Performance (RNP) approach procedures for Atlantic Airways, flag carrier of the Faroe Islands.

Quovadis is tasked with establishing RNP procedures with accuracy better than 0.3 nautical miles – representing the first to be implemented in Europe – which will safely improve operational efficiency at Atlantic Airways’ hub, Vágar Airport, where surrounding terrain and local meteorological conditions make operations difficult.

Required Navigation Performance procedures allow aircraft to fly precisely along a predefined route using on-board navigation systems and the GPS-based global navigation satellite system – enabling higher efficiency and enhanced safety. By improving the RNP accuracy to better than 0.3 nautical miles on the approach, these procedures can bring the aircraft to a low decision altitude, aligned with the runway and away from turbulence areas.

“Atlantic Airways decided to implement the most advanced technology to serve the interest of its operations best and to take full advantage of its Airbus aircraft capabilities,” said Quovadis CEO Paul Franck Bijou. “Quovadis is very glad to support this highly qualified Atlantic Airways team.”

The design and implementation of such RNP procedures also will enhance the future service entry of Atlantic Airways’ A319 – which is scheduled for March 2012.

“Having Quovadis work on these procedures with our team and colleagues from the Danish Transport Authority this year is the best way for us to prepare the arrival of the [A319],” said Magni Arge, CEO of Atlantic Airways. “Quovadis’ expertise in flight operations and in Performance Based Navigation is a perfect fit with our needs.”

The Faroe Islands are located between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean – situated northwest of Scotland and halfway between Iceland and Norway.

Airbus press release