Aerospace Diary

By Neelam Mathews  - January 3, 2019, 11:09 AM IndiGo pix As airlines in India suffer severe losses despite high passenger loads, relief has come by way of an extension of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) mandatory deadline for installing GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (Gagan) equipment on all India-registered aircraft from January 1, 2019, to June 2020. A dip in international aviation turbine fuel prices by 14.5 percent has also provided a reprieve. “While we welcome the respite, we hope the prices could be line with the $52 a barrel global price,” said Sanjay Kumar, chief commercial officer of budget carrier AirAsia India. Heavily taxed fuel comprises about 40 percent of total airline operating costs in India. The compulsory use of Indian satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) called Gagan has faced vociferous opposition from airlines for the past two years. Estimates place costs at about $200,000 for equipment and training per aircraft ...

Neelam Mathews Feb 10, 2016 The Airports Authority of  India  (AAI) is struggling to convince commercial airlines to use the GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) satellite-based augmentation system, but it hopes for a better reception from the general aviation community. Having worked with the Indian Space Research Organisation and Raytheon on the official launch of GAGAN for Indian airspace in 2015, the AAI may have to hire an external marketing consultant to convince carriers to adopt the system. GAGAN "is a big opportunity for  India ", said S V Satish, former ATM general manager for GAGAN and now executive director for safety at the AAI. "We should take the lead in marketing GAGAN to neighbouring countries." 1644361 Will budget airline SpiceJet become the first carrier to adopt GAGAN? (Neelam Mathews) The AAI aims to develop technology parks ...read more (Subscription) in Janes Airport Review

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  OEM s 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...

Jane's Airport Review Neelam Mathews , New Delhi Section: ATC Last posted: 2015-07-21 Images: 1 image The Airports Authority of  India  (AAI) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have officially implemented the GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) navigation system for Indian airspace - but airlines must still be convinced to adopt it. Two satellites (GSAT-8 and GSAT-10) in geostationary earth orbit are broadcasting signals for the Indian Flight Information Region (FIR). A second backup satellite called GSAT-15 will be launched in early 2016,  IHS Jane's  understands. The system is interoperable with other satellite-based augmentation systems (SBASs) to deliver precise positional data for airspace users: the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) in the  United States ; the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS); and the MTSAT Satellite Au...

by  Neelam Mathews  -  July 15, 2015, 10:15 AM I India's airlines worry about the high cost of equipage and certification associated with Gagan. (Photo: Neelam Mathews) India’s airlines are resisting attempts by the country’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation ( DGCA ) to adopt the recently launched Gagan ( GPS   Aided Geo Augmented Navigation) system, citing the high cost of associated equipment and the time needed for retrofits, training and certification. One of the world’s four satellite-based augmentation systems, Gagan is a joint project of the Airport Authority of India ( AAI ), the Indian Space Research Organization ( ISRO ) and Raytheon. Its advanced air navigation technology provides coverage for the entire Indian Flight Information Region ( FIR ) via broadcast signals from two Indian built satellites ( GSAT   8 and   GSAT   10). “It improves fuel efficiency of airlines operating throughout India,” said Raytheon’s country...

SINGAPORE AIR SHOW  »  2014 by    NEELAM MATHEWS February 13, 2014, 12:35 AM India’s  GPS -Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (Gagan) system, jointly developed by Airports Authority of India ( AAI ), the Indian Space Research Organization and Raytheon, has been awarded certification for in Required Navigation Performance ( RNP ) 0.1 operations. Achieved with the help of quasi- U.S. government non-profit  MITRE  Corporation, the certification makes it the world’s fourth  SBAS  system certified for operational use. The first test flight using the system will fly an approach in mid-2014 from Ahmedabad in the western state of Gujarat. The aircraft is likely to be an  AAI -owned Beechcraft aircraft, according to S.V Satish, general manager ( ATM -Gagan),  AAI . Raytheon has built 15 ground reference stations for the Gagan System, which will provide satellite-based navigation for civil aviation over Indian ...

AIN NEWS LIVE FROM AEROINDIA » 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS February 7, 2013, 9:59 AM The certification for India’s  GPS -Aided  GEO  Augmented Navigation (Gagan) project is presently being led by the Director General of Civil Aviation ( DGCA ) and, according to an official statement, is “expected to be operational in the summer of 2013.” However, an Airports Authority of India ( AAI ) official, speaking on condition of anonymity, has told  AIN  the schedule is likely to be pushed back toward the end of the year. Raytheon is building the ground stations for the Gagan System, which will provide satellite-based navigation for civil aviation over Indian airspace and adjoining areas in South and East Asia. The Indian Space Research Organization ( ISRO ) and  AAI  are providing the space segment, additional ground equipment, as well as participating in the integration and operating the system. Gagan lever...

FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW  »  JULY 10, 2012 by    NEELAM MATHEWS July 9, 2012, 6:00 PM Raytheon says tapping into Asia’s urgent need  to update its air traffic management ( ATM ) infrastructure  to handle rapid growth in air traffic is one of its key priorities. The company recently responded to a request for proposals from Vietnam and Thailand, and opportunities are surfacing in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, said the  U.S. company. In the Middle East, it has set up its AutoTrac  III  ( AT3 ) system at Dubai World Central’s Al Maktoum International Airport, and this is due to be operational by the end of 2012. “We are going to franchise AutoTrac,” Andrew Zogg, vice president, business development, told  AIN . “We will look at broader partnerships, more licensing, more industrial relations.” Clear exceptions are India and Hong Kong. Raytheon has been working closely with the Airports Authority of In...

William L. Blair , President of Raytheon India talks to ShowNews’ Neelam Mathews , about the progress of GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN), which Raytheon is developing with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Airports Authority of India (AAI). ShowNews: Do you think that an integrated Air Traffic Management would be a better idea for Indian airports? If so, why? Wm. Blair: The integration of the ATM with the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and GAGAN would be a great benefit to the Indian air traffic management approach. Raytheon has a solution to integrate the GAGAN with ADS-B and present the information to the air-traffic management community to provide a signal with integrity to both the aircraft and the controller. SN: How many reference stations have been completed? WB: All 15 Indian Reference Station (NRES) sites have been finished and Site Acceptance Tests have been successfully completed. The secondary communications circuits an...

Air Traffic Management Aviation Daily Aug 12 , 2010 , p. 08 Neelam Mathews As India’s GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system reaches it final operational phase, the FAA, Raytheon, Indian Space Research Organization and Airports Authority of India have agreed to use ISROs algorithms to address the ionospheric challenges expected to affect GPS signals. To facilitate Category 1 precision approach landing of aircraft, India is developing GAGAN as a regional space-based system. This is a major step forward that will enable FAA to certify the system once it becomes operational in June 2013. Securing FAA approval now will prevent further delays if any additional changes need to be made in the advanced stage because minimum operating performance standards were set earlier in the project. Because India is close to the equator, ionospheric time delay is one of the major factors affecting signal accuracy. Raytheon has already set up eight reference stations in India, and has...

April 16, 2010 TECHNOLOGY An Indian Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV D3),powered by India’s first indigenous cryogenic engine,was lost due to an apparent engine failure April 15, taking with it an experimental satellite. While the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization,K. Radhakrishnan, says India plans to test fly another cryogenic engine within a year following corrective measures,the failure is being seen as a major crisis for ISRO. The vehicle deviated from its planned path and within 500 sec. of reaching a height of 60 km. stopped emitting signals. The GSLV D3 was to place in orbit GSAT-4, an experimental satellite with a multibeam Ka-band transponder.It had several payloads,including one for augmenting the U.S. Global Positioning Satellite navigation system, called Gagan (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation)— a test run for the Indian regional navigational satellite system (IRNSS) to be in place by 2014. It was also carrying an experimental system ...