ENAIRE upgrades the DVOR-DME air navigation aid systems at Bilbao Airport

ENAIRE, the national air navigation service provider, has replaced the DVOR-DME navaid at Bilbao Airport, which had reached the end of its service life.

It was also relocated to a new site in order to eliminate a potential future obstacle in the 10-28 runway strip.

The DVOR-DME installation and the newly designed procedures went into service on 10 July 2025, with neither the change nor the implementation of the new procedures having any operational impact on the airlines operating at the airport.

Navaids

VOR (Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range) equipment provides information about the radial on which the aircraft is flying relative to the ground-based aid, while DME (Distance Measurement Equipment) provides information on the distance between the aircraft and the ground station.

As a result, a pilot tuning in to the navaid can determine the position of their aircraft and which direction to fly in to start the approach to the corresponding airport.

Navaids are systems that provide information on the aircraft's position by means of radio signals, as well as guidance signals during different phases of flight. These signals allow aircraft using them to obtain on-board navigation information to streamline operations between airports.

This DVOR-DME at Bilbao Airport primarily supports landing procedures, as well as the approach and departure procedures at the airport.