The Indian Navy’s airbase, INS Hansa, out of which the Dabolim airport operates, has become the first joint-user international airport in the South-Asia Pacific region to be augmented with the required navigation performance (RNP) approach, the Navy said on May 12.
This upgrade makes it the first joint-user international airport in the South Asia Pacific area. The GAGAN Indian Satellite System serves as the foundation for the RNP.
The RNP approach for runway 26 at the airport was planned by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), and successful flight tests with Naval aircraft were carried out.
This improves accuracy for both passenger and military aircraft as they approach the runway for landing, especially in low visibility situations.
This gives military as well as passenger aircraft better accuracy while approaching the runway for landing, particularly in low visibility conditions.
There will be less dependency on ground-based equipment like very-High Frequency Omni Directional Radio (VOR) and Instrument Landing System, and will be used less frequently for navigation because of the RNP approach.
Similar to the Instrument Landing System ILS approach, Vertical Guidance (LPV) doesn’t require any ground-based Landing aid.
The Navy stated, “the RNP approach will provide near category-I instrument landing system accuracies, thereby aiding unhindered flying operations during poor weather conditions and when ground-based guidance systems are under maintenance”.
The Indian Navy and Airports Authority of India (AAI) made dedicated and coordinated efforts to develop the capacity.
In April 2022, to formulate an agreement between INS Hansa and Mopa international airport, a team of AAl representatives visited the station.
During the discussions with Navy, the AAI offered to redesign Required Navigation Performance (RNP) approaches for both runways and change all of INS Hansa’s instrument approach procedures (IAPs).
The former Portuguese government established the Dabolim airport in Goa as a civil airport and used it as an international airport for flights between Goa and Portugal.
The Indian Navy took control of the airport during the military operation to liberate Goa. It’s also India’s biggest naval airfield.
The MiG 29K Squadrons attached to the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, as well as other search and reconnaissance aircraft, are based at the airfield. This airfield is also used as a civilian international airport.
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