Boost For Frankfurt Runway Landing Systems
Pilots landing at Germany's busiest airport are now benefiting from a pair of new landing aid technologies installed by Frence aerospace and defence firm Thales.
Frankfurt International Airport's newest DME 415 and ILS 420 systems went into operation earlier this year and, now, the extent of their capabilities are being seen in full.
Airport Runway Landing Systems
Frankfurt's runway layout means ILS (Instrument Landing System) support is vital and, in total, the airport now boasts eight DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) 415s and ILS (Instrument Landing System) 420s, working for three runways. Half of its airport runway landing systems support the north western runway which is limited to precision landings and, so, needs that many in place to ensure there's always enough working to allow an uninterrupted service.
Frankfurt International Airport (Frankfurt am Main Airport) was the world's nine-busiest last year, with well over 56 million passengers handled - a 12+ per cent increase on 2010. There were also more than 487,000 aircraft movements - almost five per cent more than in the previous year. Frankfurt International Airport is operated by Fraport AG, while its air traffic control systems are run by DFS (Deutsche Flugsicherung).
Frankfurt Landing Systems
"Germany is one of our core markets and the Frankfurt airspace is one of the most challenging sectors in Europe in terms of volume and traffic", explained Thales' Head of Air Traffic Management, Remi Gille, in a statement on the new Frankfurt landing systems "We are therefore delighted at the continued confidence placed in us by DFS and FRAPORT, as they make Thales their largest supplier partner of Navaids systems"
The ILS 420 gives pilots accurate landing data, especially when the weather's bad. To date, over ILS 420 systems have been sold to airports around the world. The DME 415 informs pilots of the range that lies between them and ground-based systems. Global DME 415 sales now stand at around the 1,200 mark.
Image copyright Lasse Fuss - Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
