MAJOR BOOST FOR EGNOS, Europes WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System)

EGNOS provide a range of key benefits for aviation, without the need for ground infrastructure. These benefits include operational, economic (especially for business aviation), safety and environmental improvements, such as:.

Efficiency and operational benefits in all phases of flight:

Ability to perform instrument approaches with vertical guidance (LPV), especially interesting for airports which currently only provide NPA or visual approaches

Better airport accessibility at the cost of 1 procedure, not requiring any maintenance, an airport can provide CAT1 level performance with a decision height of 250ft (200ft in starting 2014)

From the environment point of view:

EGNOS allows advanced Arrival & Departure procedures that reduce noise and emissions, increased flexibility over highly populated areas, and more efficient routes that save time and fuel.

Improvement on cost efficiency and reduction of aircraft operation cost:

EGNOS uses low cost, high performance avionics. Improved accuracy (compared to GPS alone) can reduce delays, diversions and cancellations by 48% according to a 2010 study. The gain in fuel efficiency alone is estimated at 1.2 billion Euros.

In terms of Safety, EGNOS maintains or increases the level of safety of current navigation systems, especially at small and medium-sized airports with runways not equipped with instrument landing systems (ILS, MLS). EGNOS:

Provides vertical guidance (LPV) to every runway end in the service area, with reduction of controlled flights into terrain (CFIT) due to better situational awareness

Better precision in low altitude routes (helicopters, obstacles)

Enhanced operational safety due to the vertical guidance provided

According to the ACCEPTA project plan, the following airports will have an EGNOS landing procedure by the end of 2013: