Undavalli Heliport, in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, has announced the approval of the country’s first point-in-space (PinS) instrument approach and departure system.
The satellite-based system, developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and approved by the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), will allow for the safe operation of helicopters from landing sites where conventional instrument landing systems are not available.
The approval is expected to be a watershed moment for the rollout of similar PinS systems at other airports and heliports across India.
The system will also facilitate helicopter operations in bad weather, periods of low visibility, and in remote areas.
Consequently, the implementation of PinS systems across India is expected to offer significant improvements to the safety and responsiveness of disaster relief and air ambulance services.
Indian aerospace firm Tata Advanced Systems recently inaugurated the country’s first private-sector helicopter final assembly line for the Airbus H125, in partnership with Airbus Helicopters.
