Flight Navigation and Operations

Performance-Based Navigation (PBN): An umbrella term for navigation based on a specific standard. For simplicity, this is categorised as:

• Area Navigation: A fundamental requirement for IFR aircraft and certified category drones to be able to navigate along routes with a required accuracy. GNSS is a core capability that enables them to meet the requirements of PBN within the en-route and terminal phases of flight.

• Approach Navigation: The approach phase of flight is a critical phase where high performance is needed from GNSS. SBAS and GBAS are two solutions that are deployed, providing IFR aircraft and certified category drones with the capability to land in low visibility conditions down to 200 ft. These performances are expected to be extended by incorporating Galileo and dual frequencies.

• Low-Level Routing: An area navigation capability specified initially for helicopter operations but supporting light General Aviation and potentially drones in the future. The ceiling of the routes is low level (<4 000’) and enables helicopters to transition busy TMA or areas of high terrain safety.

Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) for drones: An umbrella term for navigation based on a specific and certified standard. An equivalent of PBN for manned aviation.

VFR complement:  Use of uncertified GNSS receivers as a navigation complement to VFR piloted operations. This includes moving map displays on portable devices.

Drone navigation (uncertified): An uncertified navigation tool capable of PVT and other capabilities related to drone navigation providing horizontal/vertical accuracy, integrity (integrity risk, time to alert and alert limits), continuity and availability for different phases of flight and environments.

Operations & Air Traffic Management

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B): GNSS is integral to ADS-B systems, which transmit the location of aircraft to ground controllers and other aircraft, improving situational awareness and safety. This system is crucial for air traffic management, especially in remote and oceanic areas where radar coverage is limited.

Aircraft maintenance and operations optimisation: Identifies areas where aircraft have flown through large areas of particulate matter and in turn requires early or more maintenance actions helping airlines and manufacturers save costs. When combined with innovative digital and satellite-based solutions, it also supports new tools and traffic optimisation mechanisms for multimodal access, passenger and freight flows into and out of the airport, as well as between airports, facilitating improved airport access and reducing traffic from/to the city or other key transport nodes.

Airport capacity and safety: GNSS is a valuable asset to support Advanced-Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS) surveillance and safety support services as well as helping airport managers to maintain high quality and complete knowledge of their airport assets.

ATM system timing:  The ground systems used by air traffic control are increasingly connected. The systems rely on precise and high-integrity timing for synchronisation of logs, communication and traffic handover at system level – all of which are dependent on GNSS-derived timing.

Air Traffic Control (ATC) Modernization: By leveraging GNSS data, ATC systems can manage airspace more efficiently, optimizing flight paths, reducing congestion, and minimizing delays. This leads to improved operational efficiency and passenger satisfaction.

Flight Data Monitoring: GNSS data is used in flight data monitoring programs to analyze flight paths, speeds, and altitudes, contributing to safety audits and investigations. This helps in identifying potential safety issues and preventing future accidents.

U-space services: The precise positioning and integrity enabled by EGNOS can support U-space services serving both manned and unmanned airspace users. Such services include network identification, geo-awareness or conformance monitoring. It is important to note that network identification only applies to drones.

Drone operations planning: GNSS (SBAS) enables precise route planning and increased integrity of positioning signal thus ensuring that positioning and navigation performance is known and acceptable.

Surveillance

Electronic Conspicuity (certified): Provides self-reporting of position from an aircraft or drone to other aviation actors providing a means to learn about position and speed vectors. The information from this is derived from GNSS and covers numerous non-certified solutions used for situational awareness of the operator.

Electronic Conspicuity (uncertified): Provides self-reporting of position from an aircraft or drone to other aviation actors providing means to learn about position and speed vectors. The information is derived from GNSS and covers numerous certified solutions used mostly for Air Traffic Management.

GADSS: The Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System is a concept developed by ICAO which enhances the effectiveness and alerting of search and rescue services in the event of an aviation tragedy. It ensures that the aircraft is tracked and that the last known GNSS-derived position is always recorded, maintaining an up-to-date record of aircraft progress. GADSS has three components: Aircraft Tracking; Autonomous Distress Tracking; and Post Flight Localization and Recovery. Aircraft Tracking is enabled through the on-board GNSS equipment (either the PBN or Electronic Conspicuity device), whilst the other components are provided by Emergency Locator Transmitters which are covered in the Emergency Management and Humanitarian Aid segment.

Infrastructure timing: Different solutions, such as radars, are used by air traffic services to track aircraft and provide services to facilitate conflict-free traffic flows. All systems in use today rely on GNSS for timing, and often synchronisation as well, for example in Wide Area Multilateration systems that use multiple synchronised receivers to calculate where an aircraft is.

Safety and Emergency Response

Search and Rescue Operations: GNSS technologies play a vital role in search and rescue operations by providing accurate location data for emergency response teams. This facilitates quicker response times and enhances the chances of survival for individuals involved in aviation accidents.

Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability

Fuel Consumption Optimization: By enabling more direct flight paths and efficient altitude management, GNSS technology helps reduce fuel consumption and, consequently, the carbon footprint of aviation operations.

Noise Abatement Procedures: GNSS supports the design and implementation of noise abatement procedures by allowing aircraft to follow precise flight paths that avoid noise-sensitive areas, minimizing the impact of aircraft noise on communities near airports.