Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport: Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) Process Recap and Insights Tom Anderson General Counsel MSP Metropolitan Airports Commission 2015 ACI-NA Legal Affairs Spring Conference April 16, 2015
Longstanding Residential Development Around Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport
July 2007 MSP Noise Oversight Committee (NOC) began investigating aircraft navigation technology to reduce noise Area Navigation (RNAV) viewed as an opportunity Optimized Profile Descents (OPD) viewed as a critical element July 2009 Crossing-in-Corridor and Runway 17 River RNAV Departures submitted to the FAA 2010 FAA moved forward with airspace-wide PBN project Crossing-in-Corridor and OPD incorporated in airspace-wide initiative
1. Provide a noise analysis using the MSP 2010 actual noise data, analyzing the effects of the procedures on the noise contours and other noise metrics that evaluate the time above impact and single event noise impacts along a given RNAV track at MSP 2. Provide a public information program to inform the public 3. Reduce the number of sensitive land use overflights 4. Reduce aircraft arrival noise 5. Maximize use of RNAV noise tracks as part of the Runway Use System
FAA indicated that a noise contour analysis and public information program was not part of its project scope. The NOC took on a leadership role with the noise contour analysis and public information program. Following completion of the noise contour analysis the public information program was anticipated to require four months, at a minimum, to complete. The noise contour analysis and public information program were to commence after receiving the RNAV/RNP STAR and SID procedure designs from the FAA in January 2012.
FAA provided the full set of RNAV/RNP STAR and SID procedure designs to the MAC on August 6, 2012 September 13, 2012 FAA requested MAC support determination by the end of November 2012 to avoid a 16-month delay in procedure publication September 19, 2012 NOC reviewed the noise contour analysis and took action to conduct a public information program--website page, city council briefings, news channel stories, newspaper articles, and open houses November 14, 2012 NOC determined that FAA adequately considered the NOC criteria in its process Extensive press coverage between the November 14 th NOC meeting and the November 19 th Commission meeting
On November 19, 2012, the full MAC Commission passed the following motion: The Metropolitan Airports Commission supports implementation of the Area Navigation (RNAV) procedures as designed by the Federal Aviation Administration with the exception of RNAV departure procedures off runways 30L and 30R at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. 8
Following the MAC Action, FAA commenced a safety study of the Partial Implementation February 1, 2013 MAC recommended a framework to FAA for community outreach associated with possible future implementation of PBN RNAV procedures at MSP
1. Timing FAA efforts to re-engage the communities on the possibility of RNAV SIDs on Runways 30L and 30R should commence in July 2015 after the partial implementation proposal has been implemented and there has been ample time between partial implementation and follow-on outreach efforts. 2. Local FAA Leadership as a Critical Component Local FAA Air Traffic Control representatives (Mr. Rydeen and his team) should be placed in lead positions when communicating with the public and strategizing on the appropriate allocation of FAA resources in addressing community concerns. 3. Holistic Outreach Any future FAA efforts to re-engage communities northwest of MSP (such as Richfield, Minneapolis, or Edina) in support of RNAV SID implementation on Runways 30L and 30R, should also include a component intended to reach out to the communities impacted by the partial implementation of RNAV procedures. The plan should include components for engaging the communities to the south and east of MSP to receive feedback on how the procedures are impacting communities.
4. Early Coordination with Local Community Leaders Future FAA efforts to re-engage communities around MSP must begin with outreach to key community representatives in each of the cities located within a defined area around the airport (at a minimum this should include communities that have expressed interest in this issue to date) to establish community expectations related to community outreach efforts and related analyses This will be critical for maintaining support throughout the process for the implementation of RNAV SIDs on Runways 30L and 30R. 5. Adequate Resource Allocation The FAA will need to dedicate the resources necessary to complete the elements of the plan successfully. This will likely require a mix of FAA staff resources and consultant services with a dedicated project budget. Local FAA Air Traffic Control representatives will be an important participant in the development and prioritization of these project recourses.
February 19, 2014, FAA Letter: the SRM determined that partial RNAV SID Implementation.introduces unacceptable safety risks into the National Airspace System. Determination driven by: Runway configurations change 2-3 times daily Requirement to use automation procedure referred to as the deck to change ERAM software preferential departure routes from RNAV procedures to legacy procedures, based on runway configuration Runway configuration changes would require termination, or activation, of the deck with reissuance of revised departure instruction to each aircraft that has already pushed back from the gate or previously received its departure clearance prior to taxi Reissued departure clearances after push back and taxi require head-down operations by the flight crews during a heavy workload time on the flight deck FAA included a review of the RNAV STARs to all runways and has moved forward with STAR/OPD implementation at MSP.
On March 6, 2014 NOC adopted Resolution 01-2014 and on March 17, 2014 the Full Commission endorsed the resolution stating as follows: Prior to the commencement of any future RNAV SID design and implementation efforts at MSP, FAA should present a case study of the successful implementation of RNAV at an airport with similar challenges to those existing at MSP, which includes the airport s location adjacent to densely populated residential areas. The case study should detail, how the FAA s proposed design and implementation plan for MSP builds on the proven successes at the other similarly-situated airport Future RNAV implementation at MSP should incorporate the community outreach recommendations previously communicated Future implementation of RNAV SID should be delayed until said study and outreach plan are finalized.
The MSP experience highlights two fundamental considerations for airports when faced with the FAA s development of PBN procedures: 1. Airports are an important resource: airport operators should focus their role in the PBN implementation on acting as a valuable resource to the FAA by defining local expectations of how the PBN design and implementation process should be conducted in order to ensure that the FAA will be successful in meeting those expectations. 2. FAA needs to take the lead: the FAA, as the agency controlling schedules and budgets for the design and implementation of PBN procedures, must lead all elements of the process, including those elements intended to meet local expectations, such as noise analysis and public information components.