India's first: IndiGo uses fuel saving navigation

Mumbai: No-frill carrier IndiGo on Saturday became the first Indian airline to carry out a landing at the Kochi airport using Required Navigation Performance Approach, a system that allows an aircraft to be guided by a sophisticated on-board navigation system instead of ground-based equipment. The system will also shorten the distance on each approach by 75 km and lead to fuel saving of 400 kg on each landing.
The system is being implemented only at Kochi airport at present and is useful at airports that have no ground instruments like Instrument Landing System. Other airlines too are training crew for RNP approach but are yet to receive an approval.
RNP, by allowing the use of on-board systems and satellite-based Global Positioning System, frees the plane from dependence on conventional ground-based navigation installations. An airline spokesperson said first plane to use the RNP approach flew from Bangalore on Saturday.
24/06/12 Business Standard

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Categories: airports Jun 2012, Indigo Airlines Jun 2012, New Jun 2012