Page 28 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2014 Online Magazine

FEATURE NAVIGATION SYSTEMS

around airports and flight delays. “India is the fourth country in the Landing System (ILS) on runway 27 and
Consistent high growth rate in civil world, after the U.S, Japan and Europe to a VOR (both ground based installations)
aviation in India in the recent past and take up the challenge of establishing the that are used for guidance for landing
burgeoning fleet size of the airlines with regional SBAS navigation system which procedures on both ends of the runway.
the induction of new generation modern will redefine the navigation over Indian The RNP project in Kochi has been
aircraft has necessitated the need for airspace and other states falling in the co-financed by Airbus and the French
quick and rapid upgradation of facilities, footprint of GAGAN,” the minister says. Civil Aviation Authority. The task was led
procedures and infrastructure. Since India is managing one of the by Quovadis, an Airbus wholly owned
“The ICAO (International Civil largest airspace in Asia-Pacific region and subsidiary dedicated to PBN.
Aviation Organization) mandate for the also large number of airports, the long- Aditya Ghosh, President of IndiGo says,
implementation of PBN procedures both term strategy for PBN implementation “This new technology will enable tangible
in en route and terminal area has come as is to develop in-house capability for the cost savings, which in turn will have a
a boon towards optimising airspace utility airspace analysis, PBN procedure design, positive impact on our overall operational
and efficient management of terminal safety assessment and training. efficiency. But more importantly, we are
airspace at two busiest airports in India- U.S.-based MITRE Corp, has been excited about partnering in this significant
Mumbai and Delhi which were the focus of a strategic partner in India’s endeavour step towards improving air traffic
traffic growth,” the minister says. to adopt a collaborative approach to management in India and making it an even
AAI has installed 66 Instrument landing develop in-house skills. The process of safer and greener environment to fly in.”
systems and 93 VOR/DME (combined development of PBN procedures and Similarly, subsequent to the
radio navigation station for aircraft) which implementation framework for Mumbai introduction of PBN procedures in India,
provide navigational guidance to aircraft. In and Delhi airports was through the MITRE another private carrier Jet Airways
addition, Satellite Based Navigation System experts with the active participation and obtained regulatory approval for the use of
(SBAS) called GPS Aided Geo Augmented involvement of Indian officials with hands- RNAV1 (Area Navigation) across its entire
Navigation (GAGAN) system is being on training. jet aircraft fleet.
jointly developed and implemented by AAI “This method allows aircraft to operate
and Indian Space Research Organisation First ever RNP on any station referenced navigation
(ISRO). Leading private carrier, IndiGo Airlines was aids or self- contained aids or both, thus
The GAGAN is designed to provide the first-ever to undertake a RNP approach enabling optimization of airspace, reducing
the improved accuracy, availability, and in regular airline operations while landing dependency on routes based on ground
integrity necessary to enable users to rely at Kochi in 2012. IndiGo had collaborated navigation aids and permitting reduced
on GPS for all phases of flight, from en route with Quovadis, the AAI, and the Directorate- separation between two airborne aircraft,
through approach for all qualified airports General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to put in without compromising safety standards,”
within the GAGAN service volume. GAGAN place a safe landing procedure at the Kochi the airline says.
will also provide increased positional International Airport. Quovadis is also involved in providing
accuracy of aircraft thereby permitting The Kochi International Airport in training for the safe and efficient
enhanced safety and operational efficiency. southern India is India’s seventh busiest implementation of a full PBN in 11 airports
The system will be commissioned this year. airport, and equipped with one Instrument in Philippines. The country’s largest
national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific recently
announced its support for the Civil Aviation
From Stars to Pads Authority of the Philippines’ (CAAP) joint
Today’s planes take off, fly, and land almost entirely under automatic
control. The sun, the moon, and the stars, have lost their old initiative with Airbus to help develop a full
significance. It wasn’t always like this. Early navigators used a performance-based navigation network
sextant, an 18th-century instrument that locates position according to mainly in Iloilo, Puerto Princesa, Butuan,
the stars, using maps and accurate clocks or watches to co-ordinate Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga.
position. Next (developed through wartime necessity) came ground-based PBN helped serve as one of the core
navigation aids (NAVAID), (non-directional beacons [NDB] and VHF technologies for China to shift from a
omnidirectional ranges [VOR]). These were further complemented by more nation large in aviation quantity to a global
advanced inertial navigation systems (INS) used onboard aircraft. Today, aviation leader and to develop China’s
satellite navigation constellations, inertial reference platforms, and next-generation air transportation system.
ground-based NAVAIDs are all integrated into flight management systems
(FMS) to determine the position of an aircraft. Early navigation meant The Civil Aviation Administration of China
an aircraft’s position could be in error by miles. Today’s systems (CAAC), working to the guiding principle of
establish a position to significantly less , sometime down to a matter “safety first with a focus on prevention and
of meters. comprehensive control,” has constantly
improved its safety regulations and
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