The agreement enabled the publication of EGNOS-based approach procedures in Walney aerodrome, Barrow-in-Furness, UK

EGNOS Service Provider, ESSP, and, BAE Systems Marine have recently signed an EGNOS Working Agreement (EWA), as a key step for the implementation of EGNOS-based approach procedures in Barrow-in-Furness.   The approaches were published on the 23rd June 2016, as Airac7/2016 cycle refers. They represent the culmination of a period of hard work by the design team at NATS, the UK CAA and BAE Systems Marine Flight Department.

The agreement was signed on the 27th April 2016 by Captain Malcolm Sewell, Head of Flying at BAE Systems Marine Ltd and Thierry Racaud ESSP CEO.

The signature of an EGNOS Working Agreement, establishes the operational and legal framework to use the EGNOS Safety-of-Life Service as a navigation aid between the EGNOS Service Provider – ESSP - and the Airport / Navigation entity willing to use this service. The EWA is the step prior to the publication of SBAS approaches that offer similar performance to ILS CAT 1.

Malcolm Sewell said, “The ability to carry out a regulated approach to runway 35 at Walney following a similar profile to the current ILS approach firstly enhances our safety and capability in the event of failure of the ILS or any of its components to operate into the aerodrome in bad weather but also ensures that we are adequately equipped to continue operations in the future without total reliance on the ground based ILS. We have also had designed an approach to runway 17 which, due to the location and alignment of the instrument runway at Walney, north/south due to the small size of the island and unfortunately is inevitably cross-wind has now provided us with a regulated approach to 17 with the option to break cloud and re-position for an “in-to-wind” runway (23) with relative ease instead of carrying out extensive circling from an approach to runway 35. This will be a great improvement on current operations and will also reduce time and fuel consumed whilst visually circling.

Our own aircraft will be equipped virtually once the approaches are published to carry out live training in good weather, to complete the ground school and simulator training of aircrews and the ground training of our approach control provider at BAE Systems Warton and our own Aerodrome Flight Information Service team at Walney.

This whole project has been brought to a successful conclusion only by the hard work of a number of organisations, including our ESSP service provider and has been a very good illustration of inter-disciplinary and international collaboration”

Thierry Racaud, ESSP CEO said “We are happy to have a new member in the EGNOS family. EGNOS based procedure will enhance Barrow-in-Furness capacities with minimum investment. We are glad to cooperate in increasing safety and accessibility to this airport, especially in case of bad weather conditions. We welcome the recognition of the positive environmental impact EGNOS will bring to the aerodrome as well as the decrease in fuel consumption by Bae Systems aircrafts.”

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Download the Press Release here [PDF].