Honeywell’s SmartPath™ Precision Landing System, a technology that increases airport capacity for a fraction of the cost of new runways, is the first and only ground based augmentation system (GBAS) to receive the Federal Aviation Administration’s System Design Approval.
Honeywell’s technology supports precision approach and landings by using Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite data and transmits digital guidance signals to aircraft systems. SmartPath ground-based systems provide differential GPS corrections to replace or supplement the Instrument Landing System (ILS) currently used at airports. ILS is an older technology with technical and operational limitations that impacts flight path flexibility and airport throughput. ILS is also susceptible to signal interference by weather and obstacles, which can result in significant disruptions to airport traffic, causing delays.
“Honeywell is a pioneer in this technology, having first demonstrated the ability to use GPS for aircraft landing in the early 1990s,” said TK Kallenbach, Vice President of Product Management. “Our GBAS technology in SmartPath, demonstrated at more than 25 airports around the world, is ready for implementation now to enable airports to increase capacity without expensive runway expansions. Coupling SmartPath with precision arrivals can also save airline operators fuel and lowers emissions.”
To achieve FAA System Design Approval, Honeywell’s SmartPath system has been fully audited, reviewed and inspected by the FAA in a multi-year process.
For more information, read the press release.
