Complex interaction plays a critical role in ensuring safe aircraft landings. Airports, air service providers, airspace users, regulators, aircraft and system manufacturers must understand each other’s roles and needs during this flight stage.
On January 31st, ICAO, Eurocontrol and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) opened a three-day symposium that brought together specialists and researchers to map out challenges and improve the understanding of final approach operations. The event provided an opportunity for exchanging ideas about both ground-based and satellite-based augmentation systems.
As technologies improve, there are new possibilities for transitioning and executing final approaches with reduced fuel and noise impact and improved airport access. Discussions focused on these, and other topics that included:
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- Introducing recent ICAO Recommendations for final approaches;
- Addressing challenges in transitioning from non-precision approaches (NPAs) to modern 2D/3D approaches;
- Designing and validating procedures and air traffic management (ATM) aspects;
- Considering airborne and airport aspects on the transition to final approach; and
- Reviewing performance-based aerodrome operations
A summary of the event outcomes and next steps can be found here.
Have a look at this video produced by Eurocontrol where they explain the importance of bringing together experts to exchange knowledge and share experiences to improve the safety of aircraft landings: