News
December 2011First European Commercial Use of EGNOS for Approach and Landing Operations
For the first time in Europe a commercial scheduled airline is using an EGNOS based LPV procedure for landing.
From December 21st, the Trislander aircraft operated by Aurigny Air Services, a regional airline operating connection flights between the Channel Islands and the UK and France can use EGNOS when approaching the runways.
This is possible after the publication past December 7th of two EGNOS based LPV approach procedures (RNAV GNSS approach to LPV minima) at Alderney Airport (EGJA), the only airport on the island of Alderney in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency in the Channel Islands.
The activities leading to the publication of these LPV procedures were undertaken by a consortium led by NATS, the main UK Air Navigation Service Provider, and they are part of a European project partially funded by the European Commission and EUROCONTROL.
"EGNOS technology is a major step towards equipping airfields to operate safely in inclement conditions" said David Pole, NATS Project Manager and GNSS Systems Engineer. "It's a cost effective solution for smaller airfields that need the accuracy and reliability of an instrument landing system. Not only does EGNOS improve the regularity of flight services it also offers reductions in both pilot and controller workload".
The main advantage of this kind of EGNOS based procedures is to enable approaches equivalent to ILS approaches (potentially down to 250 ft minima at some runways) with a limited ground infrastructure. Thanks to EGNOS, the Alderney airport will now benefit from an approach with vertical guidance which increases the safety and accessibility compared to non precision approach (NPA) procedures. This LPV approach procedure complements the 2 NPA procedures based on NDB and the 2 recent procedures based on GPS (RNAV GNSS approach to LNAV minima) published in the airport.
So far France and Switzerland have published also LPV procedures. In Germany, as of December 17th, 38 airports are also using EGNOS within their RNAV procedures.
Archived news
EGNOS now approved for use in Germany
With effect from December 15th 2011, aircraft may fly approach procedures with vertical guidance provided by EGNOS at 38 airports in Germany.
Permission to use EGNOS in Germany has been granted by the Federal Supervisory Authority for Air Navigation Services (BAF). On December 9th 2011, DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung signed an EGNOS working agreement with ESSP SAS, the EGNOS service provider. ESSP started providing EGNOS Safety-of-Life services on March 2th 2011 after the service declaration made by the European Commission, owner of the EGNOS system.
So far, EGNOS-based approach procedures with LPV minima are available at six European aerodromes: three in France (Pau, Clermont-Ferrand, Le Bourget), two in Switzerland (St. Gallen-Altenrhein, Les Eplatures) and one on the Channel Island of Alderney.
The advantage of EGNOS is that the airport does not need additional navigation aids and thus is a cost-efficient alternative for smaller airports that would like to enable approach procedures down to 250 ft minima.
Approaches to the airports named above are now possible with lateral navigation/vertical navigation (LNAV/VNAV) minima. Further development of procedures is planned for 2012 which will allow LPV minima. (LPV = localiser performance with vertical guidance).
First EGNOS based LPV approach procedures operational in the Channel Islands
As of December 7th, two EGNOS based LPV approach procedures (RNAV GNSS approaches to LPV minima) are available at Alderney Airport (EGJA), the only airport on the island of Alderney in the Bailiwick of Guernsey , a British Crown dependency in the Channel Islands.
The publication of these procedures has been possible after the signature of an EGNOS Working Agreement (EWA) between Guernsey Airport, acting as the Air Navigation Service Provider and the company ESSP, the EGNOS Service provider, which officially declared the start of the EGNOS Safety-of-Life Service intended for Aviation last March 2nd , 2011.
The activities leading to the publication of these LPV procedures, in close collaboration with NATS, are part of a European project partially funded by the European Commission and EUROCONTROL.
The main advantage of this kind of EGNOS based procedures is to enable approaches equivalent to ILS approaches (down to 250 ft minima) with a limited ground infrastructure. Thanks to EGNOS, the Alderney airport will now benefit from 2 approaches with vertical guidance which increases the safety and accessibility compared to non precision approach (NPA) procedures. These LPV approach procedures complement the 2 NPA procedures based on NDB and the 2 recent NPA procedures based on GPS (RNAV GNSS approach to LNAV minima) published in the airport.
The LPV procedures at Alderney Airport will be also used for the first time in Europe for revenue services in commercial flights operated by Aurigny Air Services, a regional company in charge of the connection flights between the Channel Islands and the UK and France.
So far France and Switzerland have published also LPV procedures and gradually, other European Air Navigation Service Providers will start signing agreements with the ESSP in order to publish new EGNOS based LPV approach procedures within their territories.
First EGNOS LPV procedures in Switzerland
As of November 17th 2011, two new EGNOS based approach procedures can be used at two Swiss airports, Les Eplatures and St. Gallen-Altenrhein.
The main advantage of this kind of EGNOS based procedures is to enable SBAS approaches equivalent to ILS approaches (down to 250 ft minima) with a limited ground infrastructure (runway lighting). Thanks to EGNOS these airports will now benefit from an inexpensive backup to their runway ends already equipped with an ILS and hence increase airport availability in case of bad weather conditions.
In other airports, EGNOS provides also the benefit to extend the ability to perform instrumental approaches of almost Cat I minima to runways-ends where an ILS is not in place.
The publication of these two new procedures has been possible after the signature of an EGNOS Working Agreement (EWA) between the Swiss Air Navigation Service Provider skyguide and the company ESSP, the EGNOS Service provider, which officially declared the start of the EGNOS Safety-of-Life Service intended for Aviation last March 2nd , 2011.
Switzerland is the second European country to publish EGNOS based approach procedures, following the path initiated by France with the procedures at Pau, Clermont-Ferrand and Le Bourget airports.
Gradually, other European Air Navigation Service Providers will start signing agreements with the ESSP in order to publish new EGNOS based approach procedures within their territories.New free EGNOS toolkits for Smartphones
The European Commission has introduced free, downloadable and ready-to-use toolkits to help anyone develop enhanced EGNOS applications.
EGNOS Toolkits include easily downloadable software packages, demo applications and other supporting materials, allowing application developers, researchers, university students and others to create, use and maintain EGNOS-capable positioning applications.
The EGNOS Software Development Kit (SDK) provides an easy way to incorporate all EGNOS corrections and integrity capabilities, allowing developers to perform real EGNOS integration directly into a smart phone (Android phones, iPhone providing BTStack is installed and Blackberry phones).
To download the free demo, please click here.
New EGNOS Service Notice
The EGNOS Service Notice # 2 has just been published on this website, with regard to EGNOS latest performance during October.
