Alaska Airlines is the first air carrier authorized by the FAA to use a new RNP (required navigation performance) approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport’s Runway 19. The airline pioneered RNP procedures–which allow lower minimums–at Juneau International and other airports in Alaska. The RNP procedure at DCA, which follows a precise flight path down the Potomac River, allows airplanes to land with considerably lower ceilings and visibility than otherwise required. In addition to DCA and Juneau, other airports with RNP approaches are San Francisco; Portland, Ore.; Palm Springs, Calif.; and Hailey (Sun Valley), Idaho.