Area navigation offers a means of establishing an air route system without the constraints entailed in flying toward or away from the signal source. In terminal areas, an area navigation system of routes, combined with ATC computer-aided sequencing and airborne collision-avoidance technology, offers possibilities for establishing future methods of moving high volumes of traffic on and off a complex of multiple parallel runways. Such a system would reduce air-ground communications and controller workloads which are serious limiting factors in today's system.
In the en route system, the use of area navigation will result in more efficient utilization of airspace, although regimentation of traffic will continue to be necessary in areas of high traffic density.
An area navigation system, based on VOR/DME inputs is possible in the near future. The use of precision and doppler VOR inputs in a system of area navigation should make a reduction in lateral separation possible, particularly in airspace close to the signal source.
