Bizav a Likely First Adopter of Gagan, India's GPS Waas

by Neelam Mathews

 - September 22, 2015, 8:47 AM

Even as India’s airlines remain undecided on the adoption of Gagan, the country’s indigenous GPS Waas-like system, the general aviation industry is likely to embrace the system once modalities on validation and certification are sorted out. To address these issues, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), general aviation aircraft OEMs and members of India’s Business Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA) held an initial meeting last week in New Delhi.

An independent directorate within AAI for communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS) is being proposed to ensure Gagan be given “a focus and priority.” AAI is currently developing procedures for 63 medium and small airports to make them Gagan-enabled.

“The business aviation industry will find this useful given that the new civil aviation policy focuses on regional and remote connectivity,” said BAOA managing director R.K. Bali. “Gagan will support more direct routes, reduce separation standards, help fuel consumption and improve safety for business aircraft.”

The system reduces dependency on ground-based infrastructure and leverages the precision and accuracy provided by satellite technologies for aircraft equipped with a Gagan-capable GPS receiver. Suitably certified, Gagan can provide approach procedures to runway ends to minimums as low as 250 feet, close to a Category IILS.