GPS World

Tag: Delta Airlines

  • Horizon realizes benefits of WAAS; Delta lands GLS approach in Dominican Republic

    Horizon realizes benefits of WAAS

    More than a decade ago, Horizon Air, a regional affiliate of Alaska Airlines, decided to implement the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) as a part of its overall solution.

    According to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) SatNav News winter 2020 newsletter, the airline has identified a number of benefits from implementing the WAAS, including pre-departure planning, enhanced safety and scheduled reliability.

    “Our schedule reliability has become the best in our route structure due to the lowest possible approach minimums at airports Horizon Air serves,” said Perry Solmonson, Horizon Q400 check airman/flight ops duty officer.

    Delta lands GLS approach in Dominican Republic

    On Oct. 16, 2019, Delta 737 pilots, Captain Jon Hensler and Captain C.E. “Noah” Flood, along with 737NG Technical Manager Mike Mannino, conducted a GBAS Landing System (GLS) approach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. According to the FAA SatNav News newsletter, the GLS landing was a first for a North American carrier operating a revenue flight into Latin America.

    The Punta Cana airport is the first Latin American airport with GLS capability. GLS approaches at this airport permit significantly lower operational weather minimums, allowing aircraft to safely operate into this airfield when they would otherwise need to divert.

    According to the newsletter, the approach was the beginning of a several month Delta trial for GLS approaches at the Punta Cana airport.

    Check out the full stories in the FAA SatNav News winter 2020 newsletter here.

  • FAA: GBAS Operational at Airports Worldwide

    FAA: GBAS Operational at Airports Worldwide

    Delta Boeing 737 lands at Newark using GBAS.
    Delta Boeing 737 lands at Newark using GBAS.

    Delta Airlines made a perfect Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS) Landing System (GLS) landing at Liberty Newark International Airport on Feb. 18, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s SatNavNews newsletter.

    Delta now joins United Airlines and British Airways as airlines that use the GBAS at Newark.

    More GBAS locations around the world are reaching operational status, and airline operations using GBAS are increasing as additional GLS-equipped aircraft are entering service for the various airlines. Boeing has confirmed that many of the customers who have ordered multiple 787s, 747-8s or 737s have publicly stated their intention to use the GLS capability on these aircraft.

    More than 1,000 Boeing GLS-equipped aircraft are now in use, and this number is growing by an estimated 25 airplanes per month. This estimate is based upon current production rates — one third of 737s are being equipped with the GLS option. GLS is standard on 787 and 747-8 aircraft.

    The list below provides a summary of the airlines using GBAS and the airports where GLS approaches are flown on a regular basis.

    U.S. Carriers

    • Delta Airlines – Houston, Newark
    • United Airlines – Houston, Newark

    Non-U.S. Carriers

    • Air Berlin – Bremen, Malaga
    • British Airways – Newark
    • Cathay Pacific – Houston, Sydney (plans for Newark in the future)
    • Emirates Airlines – Frankfurt, Houston, Sydney, Zurich
    • Lufthansa – Frankfurt, Houston
    • Qantas – Sydney
    • Swiss Air – Zurich
    • TUIfly – Malaga
    • Various Russian airlines (S7, Transaero, Utair, Sakhalin Energy, Gaspromavia Russia). Fifteen GBAS locations in Russia have been approved with each airline using different airports (Domodedovo, Pulkovo, Tyumen, Ostafyevo, Nogliki and others).

    The commitment to GBAS development and implementation continues to grow, according to the FAA, with plans to implement GBAS in these additional locations:

    • Dubai, United Arab Emirates
    • Chennai, India
    • Gimpo, South Korea
    • London Heathrow, United Kingdom
    • Melbourne, Australia
    • Oslo, Norway
    • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    • St. Helena, United Kingdom.