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Airberlin First
Airline In Europe To Use Satellite-Based Landings By Bill Goldston |
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February 12, 2012 - Following the German Federal Office for Air Traffic Control’s accreditation of the ground station for the new satellite-based approach and landing system GBAS (Ground Based Augmentation System) as a primary landing system, Airberlin will be the first airline in Europe to use satellite-based landings on regular flights at Bremen Airport. Since 2008, the German Air Traffic Control Authority (DFS) has been working closely with Airberlin on the development of the new system. In November 2009, Airberlin was the first airline worldwide to receive approval for its Boeing 737 Next Generation fleet to use the GBAS on landings up to a visual range of only 550 meters. The new satellite-based landing system is much more precise than the instrument- based landing system (ILS) which has been used until now. |
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Other
advantages of GBAS landings are that noise pollution on the
ground is reduced because approach angles can be varied and
in the future it will be possible to use the system in
mountainous areas, where it was not previously possible to
land using the instrument-based landing system.
On the evening of 9th February 2012 after
the first successful landing in Bremen following (the)
accreditation, Tim Techt, the pilot technician for Airberlin’s
Boeing fleet, said: “This innovative technology will make it
possible to land more efficiently and with less noise pollution.
In the future, GBAS will play a central role in the on-board
navigation of our Boeing fleet.” Airberlin, stylized as airberlin is
Germany's second largest airline, after Lufthansa, and Europe's
sixth largest airline in terms of passengers. The airline
operates an extensive network including holiday destinations in
the Mediterranean region, the Canary Islands and North Africa as
well as intercontinental destinations in Southeast Asia, the
Caribbean and the Americas. Air Berlin concentrates on serving major
German and European cities to attract business traffic. A total
of 23 German cities are served, more than any other airline. Its
largest hub is Berlin-Tegel Airport, followed by Düsseldorf
Airport. Other important destinations are the focus cities
Nuremberg Airport and Son Sant Joan Airport, Palma. |