AAI recommends GAGAN receivers for all aircraft by 2017

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has recommended to the Ministry of Civil Aviation to ensure that the airlines install GAGAN (GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation) receivers on all aircraft flying in Indian airspace from April 1, 2017. GAGAN has been jointly developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation and the AAI.

P. Laxminarayana, Director, Research and Training Unit for Navigational Electronics, Osmania University, said that GAGAN has been certified and will make airline operations more efficient and reduce costs.

“The system is already being used by the Railways, Forest Department and other departments,” he said speaking at the Disha annual seminar organised by the CNS Engineers of Indian Air Navigation Service Provider here on Wednesday.

GAGAN would reduce usage of equipment and spectrum required for landing. However, the system still had problems relating to ionosphere interference since India is near the magnetic equator.

“The Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad, has been studying the interference for the past 11 years at 25 locations across the country,” he added.

K.J.Sunder Paul, Assistant General Manager, said there was a need for development of indigenous software in the area of control and navigation system (CNS).

“Though India is strong in software development, we do not focus on this. We are asking that NASSCOM involve itself in the development so that we can cut costs and get support at home,” he said.