Airservices Australia to Officially Launch New Landing Systems at Maastricht

Airservices Australia will officially launch an agreement with Honeywell Aerospace to develop and commercialize GBAS and GRAS (ground-based and ground-based regional augmentation systems) for GPS instrument approaches at airports around the world.

Airservices and Honeywell see GBAS replacing existing ILS (instrument landing systems) at major airports and GRAS providing en-route coverage and approaches with vertical guidance at regional airports. Together the systems will provide a comprehensive, cost effective and modular ground solution, the companies believe.

A prototype GBAS and GRAS system is already operating at Sydney and is being used by Qantas.

Greg Russell, Airservices Australia's CEO, said, "ATC Maastricht is the first opportunity for many industry insiders to see how GBAS exceeds the ICAO requirements for precision approach and to understand the many benefits of GRAS."

GBAS is a low-risk investment because it is designed, from an aircraft perspective, to look like ILS, the companies say.  In addition it will enable new approach paths to facilitate procedure flexibility and efficiency, while its integrity, availability and continuity are an improvement over existing technology.  Finally, safety is enhanced through its increased signal stability and system design.

Because both GRAS and GBAS systems use similar communications and message formats, a single avionics unit is being developed for both products.  For suitably equipped aircraft, a single GGF (GBAS ground facility) can provide approach and departure information to all runway ends within 23 nautical miles of its implementation site, according to Airservices.  02-14-2007.

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