The city airport will soon have a new ground-based augmentation system (GBAS) to navigate aircraft during landing and take-off.
The technology is an alternative to the instrument landing system (ILS), which will support the full range of approach and landing operations at Chennai airport.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) sources said the new system would be installed within the next six months, after which it will be tested for another six months for obtaining certification.
Explaining the facility, a senior AAI officer said GBAS has more than three antennas, a central processing system (a computer), and a VHF data broadcast transmitter, all of which will be located near an airport.
The GBAS ground facility uses the VHF radio link to provide aircraft with GPS connection, integrity and approach path information.
On board an aircraft, the GBAS avionics within the multi-mode receiver technology allows simultaneous implementation of GPS, GBAS and ILS, using common antennas and hardware, said the officer.
Expert raises doubts on new technologyFormer airline instructor pilot and aviation safety expert, A. Ranganathan, said the GBAS approaches may not be possible on the secondary runway at Chennai airport due to the obstacles on the approach path.
It requires intensive equipment calibration on ground, as well as air navigation procedures (PANS-OPS) to be drawn, based on standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
AAI’s contention that they can use both runways simultaneously is flawed as they are not parallel runways, and there are restrictions on cross-runway use.
Also, pilots in the country are not trained to use the navigation aids and approach procedures required for GBAS, said Mr. Ranganathan.
The training is quite intensive and aircraft equipment needs special maintenance standards. The ground equipment should also be of the highest standards and the obstacle clearance criteria must be very rigid, he said.
