Sydney International takes SmartPath to ground-based augmentation

Airservices Australia is to roll out the Honeywell SmartPath ground-based augmentation system (GBAS) at Sydney International Airport in late 2009, the air navigation service provider stated on 28 September.

Qantas has already completed more than 2,000 approaches at Sydney with GBAS-capable aircraft. Airservices Australia has used the Honeywell SLS 3000 GBAS since 1999 and began operational trials of the SmartPath GBAS ground station in Sydney in November 2006. Honeywell announced in March 2009 that the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) granted approval to Qantas Airlines for its A380s to use SmartPath at Sydney for Cat I satellite-based landings.

"Airservices is now working with domestic and international airlines to encourage take-up of GBAS avionics and to work co-operatively on new, efficient GBAS procedures," said Jason Harfield, Airservices Australia's general manager for air traffic control. "We expect to complete the installation in Sydney by the end of the year and are working with the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority to achieve the GBAS service approval in 2010."

The SLS 3000 GBAS receiving stations and antennas are due to be replaced by a fully operational SLS 4000 GBAS system.