CATS Global Council Think Paper: True North: A Necessary Evolution for Future Skies

For more than a century, Magnetic North has served aviation exceptionally well. It provides a common operational reference for navigation, runway designations, flight procedures and air traffic management and remains a safe, mature and globally understood foundation of today’s aviation system.

Aviation is, however, undergoing a fundamental technological transformation. Satellite navigation, digital aeronautical information, System-Wide Information Management (SWIM), Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO), automation and the integration of new airspace users are progressively changing how aircraft are navigated and managed. Many of the technologies underpinning this transformation already determine position and trajectory using globally consistent geodetic reference systems (globally consistent coordinate systems based on the Earth’s geometric shape and true geographic axis, rather than its magnetic field), with magnetic references generated where required for operational interfaces and existing procedures.

This evolution raises an important strategic question: As aviation becomes more digital and automated, should Magnetic North remain aviation’s operational reference, or should True North be considered for the future?

This Think Paper examines that question from a strategic perspective. It considers the emerging evidence and operational experience, the implications for different parts of the aviation ecosystem, and the conditions that would need to be understood before any future transition could be considered appropriate. Its purposeis not to advocate a predetermined outcome, but to support informed international dialogue and evidence-based decision-making by ICAO, its Member States and the wider aviation community.

Additional resources

The Fly True North Assessment Tool and accompanying user instructions are provided with this Think Paper to support further analysis by States, ANSPs and other interested stakeholders.

Fly True North assessment tool Use this Excel-based analytical tool for assessing potential runway and navigation aid impacts under different directional reference scenarios.

Fly True North assessment tool user guide Instructions for using the assessment tool, selecting scenarios and interpreting the results.