NEW DELHI, Oct 20: The certification process for India’s satellite-based air navigation system, GAGAN, has been initiated by the DGCA, with its makers AAI and ISRO submitting necessary papers as part of their plans for a full-fledged launch next year.
“We have started the process of certification of GAGAN. It is a long process as there are large number of technical issues and several documentations that have to be examined,” DGCA chief Arun Mishra told here.
He said GAGAN, or GPS Aided Geo-Augmented Navigation system, would make India “a global leader in air navigation services.” India would become the fourth country after the US, Europe and Japan to have this technology.
Developed jointly by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), GAGAN would expand India’s navigation coverage not only over the entire country’s and neighbouring airspace, but also over Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.
It would help pilots navigate in all-weather conditions by an accuracy of up to three metres, a capability that would enable landing aircraft in tough weather and terrain.
The system would also allow an aircraft to fly a specific path between two three-dimensional defined points, straighten routes and reduce fuel burn.
Official sources said all documents necessary for certification have been submitted to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for approval. The long-drawn certification process is likely to take about five months.
The operational testing of the system has been completed by AAI, including its final operational phase and a 30-day stability test in May-June.
The plan is to make GAGAN fully operational by the year- end or early next year. The GAGAN Signal-In-Space is already available for civilian users since December, 2011.
The AAI has trained its staff to familiarise them with GAGAN. Training is a mandatory requirement before DGCA certifies the system.
After training, the next important phase is DGCA certification of the system and development of procedures for it, based on the requirements of airports and airlines.
DGCA had sent its officials to the US between 2010-12 for training at the technical centre of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which runs the highly-accurate Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). FAA has been providing technical assistance to support certification of GAGAN.
For an aircraft to operate under GAGAN system, it is required to be fitted with Satellite-based Augmentation Systems (S-BAS) receiver, AAI sources said, adding that it is up to the airlines how early they make their planes S-BAS compatible.
GAGAN would improve airport and airspace access in all weather conditions, enhance reliability, increase safety by using three dimensional approach operations, shorten air routes, reduce delays, aid in achieving greater runway capability and also reduce fuel-burn by five per cent and provide CAT-I approaches without ground element support among others.
ISRO has launched two navigation satellites as part of the GAGAN project — the first one being GSAT-8 which was launched on May 21, 2011, and the second GSAT-10, launched on September 29, 2012.
In March 2011, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had approved a one-time grant of Rs 378 crore from budgetary support for GAGAN’s implementation.
CCEA had approved a total project cost of Rs 774 crore, of which AAI is expected to contribute Rs 604 crore and ISRO Rs 170 crore. (PTI)
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