U.S. Department 

of Transportation 

Federal Aviation 

Administration

Advisory 

Circular

Subject: NORTH AMERICAN ROUTE PROGRAM (NRP) Date: July 30, 2004 AC No: 90-91H 

 Initiated by: ATO-R Change: 

1. PURPOSE. This Advisory Circular provides guidance to users of the airspace system for 

participation in the North American Route Program (NRP). The NRP is a tool for route planning 

purposes and aircraft participating in the NRP remain limited to a route of flight that can be 

conducted in accordance with the communication and navigation equipment on-board the aircraft. 

(See 14 CFR §91.205 and 14 CFR §121.349)

2. CANCELLATION. Advisory Circular 90-91G dated July 30, 2003, North American Route 

Program, is cancelled. 

3. BACKGROUND. The North American Route Program is a joint Federal Aviation Administration 

(FAA) and NAV CANADA program. The objective of the NRP is to harmonize and adopt common 

procedures, to the extent possible, applicable to random route flight operations at and above Flight Level 

290 (FL290) within the conterminous United States and Canada. Additionally, North Atlantic 

international flights operating within the North American Route (NAR) system, are eligible to participate 

in the NRP within specific guidelines and filing requirements, outlined in the Canadian Aeronautical 

Information Publication (AIP) and the Canada Flight Supplement (CFS). The NRP has been 

implemented through various phases with the end result of allowing all international and domestic flight 

operations to participate in the NRP throughout the conterminous United States, Alaska, and Canada. This 

program allows aircraft operators to select operationally advantageous routings. These route selections 

could be based on factors such as minimum time, cost, fuel, weather avoidance, aircraft limitations and/or 

other factors. 

4. PARTICIPATION. Flights may participate in the NRP under specific guidelines and filing 

requirements provided the flight originates and terminates within the conterminous United States and 

Canada, or for North Atlantic international flights operating within the NAR system. NRP aircraft are not 

subject to route limiting restrictions (e.g., published preferred instrument flight rules (IFR) routes) beyond 

a 200NM radius of their point of departure (egress) or outside a 200 NM radius of their destination 

(ingress). Operators should refer to the Canadian AIP and CFS for specific requirements while operating 

within Canadian airspace. 

5. PROCEDURES.

a. Flights should be filed and flown via Departure Procedures (DP’s), Standard Terminal Arrival 

Routes (STAR’s), or published preferred IFR routes for at least that portion of flight which is within 

200NM from the point of departure (egress) or destination (ingress), (except as stated in paragraph 5b 

below). If the procedure(s) above are less than 200 NM, published airways may be used for the 

remainder of the 200 NM. If published procedure(s) do not exist, published airways may be used for the 

entire 200NM. 

FAA Form 1320-15 (4-82) Supersedes WA Form 1320-2 
AC 90-91H 04/15/2004 

b. Flights may be filed and flown on the complete transition of DP’s and/or STAR’s for the airport 

areas listed in Appendix 1, Departure Procedures, and Appendix 2, Standard Terminal Arrival Routes, in 

lieu of the 200 NM ingress/egress filing requirements described in paragraph 5a above. 

c. Flights should not be filed via DP/NRP/STAR transitions within offshore transition areas (12 

miles or more off the United States shoreline).

d. Operators should ensure that the route of flight contains no less than one navigational aid 

(NAVAID), or waypoint (in the fix radial distance (FRD) format) in each delegated area of airspace 

jurisdiction for each FAA Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) in which a direct route segment 

traverses. These NAVAID’s, or waypoints must be located within 200 NM of the preceding FAA 

ARTCC’s boundary. Additional route description fixes for each turn point should be defined. Within 

Canadian airspace, a significant point should be filed for each Area Control Centre (ACC) in which a 

direct route segment traverses. 

 

e. For routes that cross the United States/Canadian border west of Sault St. Marie (SSM), a 

significant point within 30 nautical miles of either side of the border should be filed. For routes that cross 

the border east of SSM, flights may file a random route on any of the following eight fixes: Sault St. 

Marie (SSM), London, Ontario (YXU) or QUBIS, TAFFY, TOPPS, EBONY, ALLEX, TUSKY. 

f. Operators within the United States should ensure that the route avoids active restricted areas and 

prohibited areas by at least 3 NM unless permission has been obtained from the using agency to operate 

in that airspace and the appropriate air traffic control facility has been advised. 

g. Operators should ensure that “NRP” is entered in the remarks section of each flight plan. 

NOTE: “NRP” will be retained in the remarks section of the flight plan if the aircraft is moved 

due to weather, traffic, or other tactical reasons. In these situations, every effort will be made to 

ensure the aircraft is returned to the original filed flight plan/altitude as soon as conditions permit. 

If the route of flight is altered due to pilot requested or controller initiated direct route, “NRP” 

will be removed from the remarks section of the flight plan, and the flight will be considered as a 

non-participant of the NRP. 

h. Flight plans should be filed at least one hour prior to departure. 

i. Operators should not file a NRP route that conforms to published preferred IFR route(s). 

j. Flights not meeting the FAA guidelines contained within this Advisory Circular are to be 

requested through the FAA nonpreferred route programs. Those requests will be approved or 

disapproved on a workload-permitting basis. 

John W. Kies 

Director of System Operations 

Air Traffic Tactical Operations, ATT-1 

Page 2