Airbus A320 Family Approved for Precision Microwave Landing System

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has approved Airbus A320 Family aircraft for Category IIIb precision approaches using a MLS (microwave landing system).

The approval was granted to British Airways, the first customer for the system, which will implement its use at London's Heathrow airport on its A320s and A321s.

MLS uses micro-wave signals that are less susceptible to interference, such as aircraft movements or buildings, than an ILS (instrument landing system). Cat IIIb approval for MLS means users will be able to use it to conduct precision approaches with a decision height lower than 15 meters/50 feet, Airbus says.

The A320 MLS system is the result of a joint development by Airbus and its industry partners including, Thales, British Airways as well as UK and French national airport and air transport authorities.  Thales manufactured both the on-board MLS receiver, hosted in a MMR (multimode receiver) and the airport MLS ground station.

MLS operations are very similar to those using ILS, with straight approaches in the runway axis along a three degree slope.  The aircraft is equipped with special capture and tracking antennae and an avionics software suite, while on the ground, each runway has an MLS ground station. The system's pilot-machine interface is similar to ILS, so pilot training is minimal.  11-15-2007.

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