AIRCRAFT ROUTING

The airspace over the City of Tempe is used by airlines to depart and approach Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The implementation of Performance Based Area Navigation (RNAV/RNP) arrival routes at the airport made improvements to airline navigation accuracy and fuel burn. 

Inside Tempe boundaries, the RNAV/RNP route seen on the map above is used by airlines arriving from southern California airports. Planes now repeatedly use the same area over Ahwatukee and south Tempe to descend before turning north to make a final approach over Tempe Town Lake from the east. 

Departure routes are less contained inside the terminal control area. Currently the airport uses a mix of RNAV and traditional Standard Instrument Departure (SID) procedures.

The depiction above includes planes that take off toward the west with turns back toward the east as they climb to higher altitudes.