Airservices is a government-owned corporation providing safe, secure, efficient and environmentally responsible services to the aviation industry. We manage air traffic operations for around 75 million passengers on more than three million flights every year.

GBAS implementation program

Airservices is implementing the GBAS service in five phases with a strong focus on delivering benefits to the industry as early as possible. GBAS is planned to become an integral component of Australia’s next-generation, satellite-based air navigation system.

Close industry cooperation is a key element of the GBAS program. In transitioning to GBAS and other satellite-based services, Airservices continues to seek input and guidance from the community and industry members, including aircraft operators, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), the Australian Government and airports.

Phase 1

Airservices has completed Phase 1 to build operational experience with GBAS technology, using a Honeywell’s demonstration GBAS, SLS-3000, at Sydney International Airport.

In November 2006, Airservices and Qantas launched the world’s first GLS approach. Since then, Qantas has flown more than 2,500 GBAS-supported approaches and trained over 700 pilots on GBAS operations. Pilots have consistently reported that GBAS provides extremely smooth and stable guidance. Qantas is equipping its entire B737NG fleet with GLS. In January 2009, Qantas obtained CASA approval of GLS operations on Airbus A380s. In the coming years, over 50 per cent of Qantas aircraft fleet will have GBAS capabilities.

Phase 2

Phase 2 commenced in the third quarter of 2009 to replace the Honeywell SLS-3000 system with the SLS-4000 SmartPath™ GBAS at Sydney. SmartPath™ is the world’s first and only GBAS which has received the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s system design approval. Airservices and CASA closely monitored this approval process.

Acceptance testing of the new system was carried out in August 2011 and a three-month test and evaluation period commenced in late 2011. Airservices intends to apply to the CASA to have GBAS Category I (CAT-I) operations approved for use at Sydney during 2012.

Phase 3

Phase 3 focuses on validating the GBAS operational benefits through the research, development and trial of GBAS-enabled operational capabilities, including displaced threshold operations, simultaneous approaches to parallel runways and low-visibility take-off and approach operations. The changes to ATC procedures, requirement for decision support tools and safety impact will be analysed in detail to assess the feasibility of advanced GBAS concept of operations.

Phase 4

In Phase 4, Airservices will continue to contribute to the development of GBAS CAT-III ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). These standards will guide the specifications for developing CAT-III GBAS technology to reduce flight delays and increase airport capacity in all weather conditions.

Phase 5

Phase 5 will consider extending the GBAS network to suitable airports in Australia. The transition to GBAS will be an evolutionary process, building on the demonstration of proven GBAS benefits, aircraft GLS equipage rate, airport operating environment and cross-industry cost/benefit analyses.