Canberra Airport Flight Path Use Changes

Consultation on this project has now concluded. Thank you for your interest, comments and input. 

Airservices Community Engagement team

The types of aircraft using existing flight paths into Canberra Airport will be changing from 14 July 2022.

Required Navigation Performance - Authorisation Required (RNP-AR) is a satellite-based navigation technology that allows aircraft to operate with greater accuracy and alerts flight crew if the aircraft deviates from the planned route. Greater efficiency can be achieved by reducing track miles, fuel burn and emissions. The procedures allow increased precision for safe and predictable landings, including during inclement weather and low visibility conditions. RNP-AR has previously been referred to as ‘Smart Tracking’.

RNP-AR flight paths are available for Canberra Airport’s main runway 17/35 (oriented north-south) but can only be flown by aircraft that have been equipped with the required technology and where the flight crew have been authorised by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to conduct RNP-AR operations. To date, the RNP-AR flight paths into Canberra have only been used by jet aircraft.

QantasLink has updated its fleet of Dash 8 Q400 propeller-driven (turboprop) aircraft with RNP-AR technology, enabling them to be able to use the existing RNP-AR flight paths into Canberra Airport. Commencing on 14 July 2022, the existing RNP-AR flight paths will be used by a mix of both jet and turboprop aircraft, resulting in an increase to the number of flights using these flight paths. This change will not affect the total number of flights operating at Canberra Airport. There will be no changes to existing flight paths and no new areas will be overflown.

For more information, please view the fact sheet on the changes to the use of the existing RNP-AR flight paths into Canberra Airport.


The types of aircraft using existing flight paths into Canberra Airport will be changing from 14 July 2022.

Required Navigation Performance - Authorisation Required (RNP-AR) is a satellite-based navigation technology that allows aircraft to operate with greater accuracy and alerts flight crew if the aircraft deviates from the planned route. Greater efficiency can be achieved by reducing track miles, fuel burn and emissions. The procedures allow increased precision for safe and predictable landings, including during inclement weather and low visibility conditions. RNP-AR has previously been referred to as ‘Smart Tracking’.

RNP-AR flight paths are available for Canberra Airport’s main runway 17/35 (oriented north-south) but can only be flown by aircraft that have been equipped with the required technology and where the flight crew have been authorised by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to conduct RNP-AR operations. To date, the RNP-AR flight paths into Canberra have only been used by jet aircraft.

QantasLink has updated its fleet of Dash 8 Q400 propeller-driven (turboprop) aircraft with RNP-AR technology, enabling them to be able to use the existing RNP-AR flight paths into Canberra Airport. Commencing on 14 July 2022, the existing RNP-AR flight paths will be used by a mix of both jet and turboprop aircraft, resulting in an increase to the number of flights using these flight paths. This change will not affect the total number of flights operating at Canberra Airport. There will be no changes to existing flight paths and no new areas will be overflown.

For more information, please view the fact sheet on the changes to the use of the existing RNP-AR flight paths into Canberra Airport.


Consultation on this project has now concluded. Thank you for your interest, comments and input. 

Airservices Community Engagement team

  • Update: QantasLink Dash 8 Q400 turboprop aircraft will start using the existing RNP-AR flightpaths into Canberra Airport from 14 July 2022.

    Following the consultation period, we have considered the response to the information we provided, including discussions held with the Canberra Airport Community Aviation Consultative Group (CACG), access to the information on our Engage Airservices page and the limited feedback received on the proposed change. Based on this, we believe the use of the existing RNP-AR approach by turboprop aircraft, in addition to the current jet aircraft, is not of significant concern to the community.

    Given the potential benefits of the use of the RNP-AR approach for the Jerrabomberra and Fernleigh Park communities and industry, we have identified an opportunity to implement the proposed change to flight path use at Canberra Airport from 14 July 2022, which is earlier than our previous advice.