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The GSA recently showcased the many benefits that European GNSS – EGNOS and Galileo– bring to the mapping and surveying sector during INTERGEO 2015 – one of the leading international trade fairs in surveying and geo-information.

At this year’s edition, held in Stuttgart, Germany, the GSA shared a stand with the European Space Agency (ESA), COPERNICUS, and a number of innovative companies.

Speaking at a workshop during the congress, GSA Market Development Officer Reinhard Blasi emphasized the benefits of European GNSS (E-GNSS) in general, with particular emphasis on surveying applications. Referring to the GSA’s 2015 GNSS Market Report, which shows surveying accounting for 4.5% of the projected E-GNSS market from 2013-2023, he noted the sector represents a major opportunity for the GSA. For example, 50% of all GNSS receivers currently on the global market are Galileo-enabled, with 45% of receivers being equipped for all GNSS constellations.

The market will be heavily influenced by rapid urbanisation in emerging countries, and the need for construction and surveying activities across the globe. According GSA Market Development Innovation Officer Alina Hriscu, construction in Asia-Pacific and North America will drive E-GNSS growth. Moreover, the reduction of GNSS receiver prices and increases in accuracy are transforming mapping into more accessible activities – which also contributes to growth in the GNSS market.

Commitment to the End User

According to Blasi, it is a priority to maximise the return on the investment in E-GNSS by the European Union, understood in terms of benefits to users and industry competitiveness. “This means matching design and enabling services to users’ needs,” he said.

This commitment to user needs is particularly prevalent in the surveying sector, where the use of E-GNSS brings improvement in many parameters. Those needs are mostly covered and met by GALILEO Open Service (OS) and Commercial Service (CS).

Watch This: EGNOS for Mapping 

The Open Service, which will be free of charge for all users, will feature excellent positioning and timing performance. Benefits will include easier mitigation of multipath errors, higher signal-to-noise ratio, improved coverage at high latitudes, better results in such harsh environments as urban canyons and tree canopies and enhanced protection against spoofing attacks. 

The Commercial Service, on the other hand, is dedicated to high precision applications and will additionally provide the first ever GNSS spreading code encryption for purely civil purposes.  CS High Accuracy (CS-HA) will deliver corrections via Galileo E6 across the globe (PPP- precise point positioning) for cm-level positioning precision for applications across all segments, and is comparable to differential positioning techniques. Moreover, CS-HA will offer triple frequency, enabling faster convergence time for surveying applications and accuracy comparable to RTK.  Users can also benefit from CS Authentication service, which allows for an increase to the civil security of professional applications. This addition provides a level of trust to users, assuring them that they are tracking signals and data from actual satellites and not from any other source (anti-spoofing).

Blasi moreover underlined that the Galileo E6b signal will be unencrypted, which brings new opportunities for trilaning – or choice for a 3rd frequency – further improving positioning accuracy without augmentation and bringing greater reliability.

The GSA also highlighted that E-GNSS can be used in synergy with Copernicus data, as they are complementary for a wide range of applications across different segments. For example, measurements of Ground Control Points with GNSS equipment support the geo-referencing process of Copernicus data, resulting in more accurate maps. Another example can be found in agriculture, where Copernicus Earth Observation data can serve as input for VRT (Variable Rate Technology) ‘’application maps’’ for fertilisers and/or pesticides, and E-GNSS indicates locate the areas in the field where the applications needs to be used. Many other examples cover the road, maritime, energy and emergency and disaster risk management segments.

Around the Exhibition

INTERGEO serves as the ideal platform for networking and sharing knowledge with this important sector. “The event is the most important geospatial event in Europe, and maybe even worldwide,” said Hriscu. “It’s a global who’s who of geospatial, with key leading industries exhibiting and exchanging experiences in the many workshops.”

This is a sentiment shared by many exhibiting companies. “We are excited to return to INTERGEO and share our comprehensive portfolio of solutions with geospatial professionals from around the world,” said Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollén. “This event offers a great platform to speak face-to-face and learn how we can best support the end-users, while also discussing current trends affecting the industry.”

Hexagon and its company Leica Geosystems were promoting several E-GNSS enabled products during the event.

Javad, another company exhibiting at INTERGEO, was displaying several versions of its Triumph receivers. “When located in difficult environments, all GNSS receivers are prone to give bad fixed solutions that may appear to be acceptable if they are not verified,” explains company representative Matt Johnson. “Existing methods to verify GNSS solutions include ‘dumping’ the receiver, turning it upside down to cause the RTK engines to reset, and re-observing the point at a later time. Our Triumph receivers, which track all satellite systems, including Galileo, automate these processes with its built-in software features of Verify and Validate.”

Javad Ashjaee, president and CEO of JAVAD, also shared his views with the GSA on the future of GNSS technology trends. His views will be reflected in the upcoming GSA GNSS Market Report, along with inputs from other leading GNSS receiver manufacturers.

In addition to the multitude of companies exhibiting at INTERGEO, numerous government organisations were also present, as well as members of the media and related services. As a central point of the 2015 edition of INTERGEO were Unmanned Arial Systems (UAS) and their many applications for the surveying and mapping sector for data collection, analysis and applications. For example, the GSA-funded H2020 project mapKITE uses a UAS and a terrestrial vehicle to develop an end-to-end solution for 3-D high-resolution corridor mapping.

The GSA took advantage of the event to proactively approach end-users to fill in the questionnaire that will be used to help the GSA better understand user needs and E-GNSS readiness. The final results of this survey will be published soon on the GSA website – stay tuned!

More Information

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Last month, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) hosted a Workshop on RFI threats to GNSS in Aachen, Germany, gathering representatives from the National Frequency Agencies across Europe to get a first-hand look at the effects of radio interferences on GNSS receivers.

Through two half-day sessions, participants heard from experts on radio interferences detection and mitigation techniques, and saw field demonstrations on the effects of radio interferences on GNSS equipment (e.g. professional receivers and enabled phones).

On the first day of the workshop, European companies presented their work, covering such topics as the impact of threats to the GNSS receiver, hardware and software mitigation techniques, threat detection techniques, and test results. Several of the various effects of intentional and unintentional jamming has on the GNSS receiver were also demonstrated, including the impact on signal to noise ratio (SNR) and on timing and navigation data.

Possible implementation of active antennas, efficiency, limitations, and cost were also discussed, as well as algorithms for active antennas. Speakers presented real detections gathered during the last two years and showed off new state-of-the-art jammers and possible mitigation techniques.

Day two was all about live demonstrations of interferences to GNSS users. Spirent Technologies, Rheinish-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aaachen, NSL, and Astri Polska all demonstrated signal processing techniques.

The workshop was organized with support from the Automotive and Rail Innovation Centre and FDC. Participants included 40 representatives from 16 EU governments, and 20 representatives from 13 EU industries. 

The presentations can be found here.

More Information

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Last month, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) hosted a Workshop on RFI threats to GNSS in Aachen, Germany, gathering representatives from the National Frequency Agencies across Europe to get a first-hand look at the effects of radio interferences on GNSS receivers.

Through two half-day sessions, participants heard from experts on radio interferences detection and mitigation techniques, and saw field demonstrations on the effects of radio interferences on GNSS equipment (e.g. professional receivers and enabled phones).

On the first day of the workshop, European companies presented their work, covering such topics as the impact of threats to the GNSS receiver, hardware and software mitigation techniques, threat detection techniques, and test results. Several of the various effects of intentional and unintentional jamming has on the GNSS receiver were also demonstrated, including the impact on signal to noise ratio (SNR) and on timing and navigation data.

Possible implementation of active antennas, efficiency, limitations, and cost were also discussed, as well as algorithms for active antennas. Speakers presented real detections gathered during the last two years and showed off new state-of-the-art jammers and possible mitigation techniques.

Day two was all about live demonstrations of interferences to GNSS users. Spirent Technologies, Rheinish-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aaachen, NSL, and Astri Polska all demonstrated signal processing techniques.

The workshop was organized with support from the Automotive and Rail Innovation Centre and FDC. Participants included 40 representatives from 16 EU governments, and 20 representatives from 13 EU industries. 

More Information

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Last month, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) hosted a Workshop on RFI threats to GNSS in Aachen, Germany, gathering representatives from the National Frequency Agencies across Europe to get a first-hand look at the effects of radio interferences on GNSS receivers.

Through two half-day sessions, participants heard from experts on radio interferences detection and mitigation techniques, and saw field demonstrations on the effects of radio interferences on GNSS equipment (e.g. professional receivers and enabled phones).

On the first day of the workshop, European companies presented their work, covering such topics as the impact of threats to the GNSS receiver, hardware and software mitigation techniques, threat detection techniques, and test results. Several of the various effects of intentional and unintentional jamming has on the GNSS receiver were also demonstrated, including the impact on signal to noise ratio (SNR) and on timing and navigation data.

Possible implementation of active antennas, efficiency, limitations, and cost were also discussed, as well as algorithms for active antennas. Speakers presented real detections gathered during the last two years and showed off new state-of-the-art jammers and possible mitigation techniques.

Day two was all about live demonstrations of interferences to GNSS users. Spirent Technologies, Rheinish-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aaachen, NSL, and Astri Polska all demonstrated signal processing techniques.

The workshop was organized with support from the Automotive and Rail Innovation Centre and FDC. Participants included 40 representatives from 16 EU governments, and 20 representatives from 13 EU industries. 

More Information

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) and aviation stakeholders have joined forces to bring EGNOS to users, a fact that was clearly demonstrated at the annual EGNOS Service Provision Workshop in Copenhagen September 29-30, 2015.

A key topic at this year’s EGNOS Service Provision Workshop, which was held in Copenhagen from 29 – 30 September was aviation. Presentations focused on the many benefits that EGNOS brings to the sector, with an highlight being the launch of LPV-200 procedures.

“This year we have overcome challenges and achieved much success,” said GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “Aircraft manufacturers are increasingly using EGNOS, and the Airbus A350 is now EGNOS-capable. The number of LPV procedures keeps growing – with more than 200 procedures already published, the potential is huge.”

Launch of LPV-200

One of the biggest announcements from the event was the launch of LPV-200 (Localizer Performance with Vertical guidance). Using GNSS positioning technology, LPV-200 provides accurate information on an aircraft’s approach to a runway, resulting in lateral and angular vertical guidance without the need for visual contact with the ground until the aircraft is 200 feet above the runway. This means passengers can enjoy increased safer landings – particularly in bad weather conditions – thus reducing delays, diversions and cancellations. More so, LPV-200 is free of direct charge and requires no upgrade to existing certified EGNOS receivers.

GSA officials noted that LPV-200 represents a key milestone in the development of EGNOS. “The declaration of LPV 200 brings EGNOS to the same operational use standard as the US’s WAAS,” said EGNOS Exploitation Programme Manager Jean-Marc Pieplu. “Now, the GSA is committed to expanding the programme’s coverage area to include all EU 28 Member States – and beyond.”

“LPV 200 is a great achievement for EGNOS and we should be very proud”. added des Dorides“

Finding Flexibility

As LPV implementation continues to grow in Europe, the GSA is well aware that it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. “We know our approach needs to be different for different users,” said des Dorides.

To ensure this flexibility, the GSA has been working with the General Aviation (GA) sector to support EASA approval of the avionics system most widely used by GA pilots: the Garmin GNS430 and GNS530. “General Aviation demands cost-effective avionics,” said des Dorides. “By approving these models for LPV capability, we’re helping to bring the cost from €10000 per aircraft registration to just €300 – making EGNOS a realistic option for GA operators.”

EGNOS is also the preferred option for business aviation operators. To support this important aviation sector, the GSA and the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote the wide use of EGNOS -based navigation procedures at regional and small airports across Europe. Ten priority airfields are undergoing implementation, with a fleet already equipped and ready to fly LPV.

EGNOS Expanding

To ensure adoption is accelerated and harmonised across Europe, the GSA works closely with ESSP, the EGNOS service provider. “We do not work in isolation,” said GSA Market Development Officer Carmen Aguilera. “We have a key partnership with ESSP and also work closely with EUROCONTROL.” She noted that the GSA does not only focus on the implementation of procedures, but also on strategies that will include EGNOS in the future.

EUROCONTROL’s Frank Riquet agreed on the importance of working together to implement EGNOS across Europe. “There is a benefit for aviation to adopt PBN, and the keyword is safety,” he said. “At EUROCONTROL, we’re always trying to take it back to navigation, surveillance and its impact on traffic, which is why GNSS is a vital part of the network”

In addition to expansion in Europe, there are possibilities for EGNOS to expand beyond the European Union. “We want to extend both in Africa and to the east,” said Ugo Celestino of European Commission DG Grow. “EGNOS is a win-win occasion for non-European Union countries

as it allows them to get a technology that leverages existing public investments, and for the EU it opens new venues of technical cooperation, business, and long-term partnerships.” Celestino said that feedback from Ukraine has been very strong and there is work on-going on EGNOS procedures for airports in the south of Europe.

EGNOS is not only expanding geographically, but also in the types of aircraft it serves.  “EGNOS is more and more important for rotorcraft operations,” said Aguilera. “How can we implement operations powered by EGNOS that can be useful for rotorcraft users?  That’s our current question.” Rotorcraft brings different technological challenges to the equation, such as flying to airports that lack sophisticated – and expensive – ground infrastructure. The GSA is also exploring low-level RNAV routes so rotorcraft can fly safely even in bad weather.

Drones are another area where EGNOS will see growth. “We cannot forget about the use of GNSS in civil drones, and we have funded a lot of projects on this topic,” noted Aguilera. “This is not only to show that drones can do many things, but to show that EGNOS and Galileo can provide guidance.”

Benefiting Business

Several companies spoke in Copenhagen on their experiences using EGNOS, including Airbus, Skyguide, FlyingGroup and Air Baltic. “GNSS on Airbus aircraft is a core function in navigation, surveillance and communication,” said Airbus Navigation Systems Marketing Officer Frederic Belloir. He said it also provides increased airport accessibility, better efficiency with more direct routes, safety nets with ADS-B, TAWS, and enhanced passenger comfort.

More Information

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) and aviation stakeholders have joined forces to bring EGNOS to users, a fact that was clearly demonstrated at the annual EGNOS Service Provision Workshop in Copenhagen September 29-30, 2015.

A key topic at this year’s EGNOS Service Provision Workshop, which was held in Copenhagen from 29 – 30 September was aviation. Presentations focused on the many benefits that EGNOS brings to the sector, with an highlight being the launch of LPV-200 procedures.

“This year we have overcome challenges and achieved much success,” said GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “Aircraft manufacturers are increasingly using EGNOS, and the Airbus A350 is now EGNOS-capable. The number of LPV procedures keeps growing – with more than 200 procedures already published, the potential is huge.”

Launch of LPV-200

One of the biggest announcements from the event was the launch of LPV-200 (Localizer Performance with Vertical guidance). Using GNSS positioning technology, LPV-200 provides accurate information on an aircraft’s approach to a runway, resulting in lateral and angular vertical guidance without the need for visual contact with the ground until the aircraft is 200 feet above the runway. This means passengers can enjoy increased safer landings – particularly in bad weather conditions – thus reducing delays, diversions and cancellations. More so, LPV-200 is free of direct charge and requires no upgrade to existing certified EGNOS receivers.

GSA officials noted that LPV-200 represents a key milestone in the development of EGNOS. “The declaration of LPV 200 brings EGNOS to the same operational use standard as the US’s WAAS,” said EGNOS Exploitation Programme Manager Jean-Marc Pieplu. “Now, the GSA is committed to expanding the programme’s coverage area to include all EU 28 Member States – and beyond.”

“LPV 200 is a great achievement for EGNOS and we should be very proud”. added des Dorides“

Finding Flexibility

As LPV implementation continues to grow in Europe, the GSA is well aware that it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. “We know our approach needs to be different for different users,” said des Dorides.

To ensure this flexibility, the GSA has been working with the General Aviation (GA) sector to support EASA approval of the avionics system most widely used by GA pilots: the Garmin GNS430 and GNS530. “General Aviation demands cost-effective avionics,” said des Dorides. “By approving these models for LPV capability, we’re helping to bring the cost from €10000 per aircraft registration to just €300 – making EGNOS a realistic option for GA operators.”

EGNOS is also the preferred option for business aviation operators. To support this important aviation sector, the GSA and the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote the wide use of EGNOS -based navigation procedures at regional and small airports across Europe. Ten priority airfields are undergoing implementation, with a fleet already equipped and ready to fly LPV.

EGNOS Expanding

To ensure adoption is accelerated and harmonised across Europe, the GSA works closely with ESSP, the EGNOS service provider. “We do not work in isolation,” said GSA Market Development Officer Carmen Aguilera. “We have a key partnership with ESSP and also work closely with EUROCONTROL.” She noted that the GSA does not only focus on the implementation of procedures, but also on strategies that will include EGNOS in the future.

EUROCONTROL’s Frank Riquet agreed on the importance of working together to implement EGNOS across Europe. “There is a benefit for aviation to adopt PBN, and the keyword is safety,” he said. “At EUROCONTROL, we’re always trying to take it back to navigation, surveillance and its impact on traffic, which is why GNSS is a vital part of the network”

In addition to expansion in Europe, there are possibilities for EGNOS to expand beyond the European Union. “We want to extend both in Africa and to the east,” said Ugo Celestino of European Commission DG Grow. “EGNOS is a win-win occasion for non-European Union countries

as it allows them to get a technology that leverages existing public investments, and for the EU it opens new venues of technical cooperation, business, and long-term partnerships.” Celestino said that feedback from Ukraine has been very strong and there is work on-going on EGNOS procedures for airports in the south of Europe.

EGNOS is not only expanding geographically, but also in the types of aircraft it serves.  “EGNOS is more and more important for rotorcraft operations,” said Aguilera. “How can we implement operations powered by EGNOS that can be useful for rotorcraft users?  That’s our current question.” Rotorcraft brings different technological challenges to the equation, such as flying to airports that lack sophisticated – and expensive – ground infrastructure. The GSA is also exploring low-level RNAV routes so rotorcraft can fly safely even in bad weather.

Drones are another area where EGNOS will see growth. “We cannot forget about the use of GNSS in civil drones, and we have funded a lot of projects on this topic,” noted Aguilera. “This is not only to show that drones can do many things, but to show that EGNOS and Galileo can provide guidance.”

Benefiting Business

Several companies spoke in Copenhagen on their experiences using EGNOS, including Airbus, Skyguide, FlyingGroup and Air Baltic. “GNSS on Airbus aircraft is a core function in navigation, surveillance and communication,” said Airbus Navigation Systems Marketing Officer Frederic Belloir. He said it also provides increased airport accessibility, better efficiency with more direct routes, safety nets with ADS-B, TAWS, and enhanced passenger comfort.

More Information

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) and aviation stakeholders have joined forces to bring EGNOS to users, a fact that was clearly demonstrated at the annual EGNOS Service Provision Workshop in Copenhagen September 29-30, 2015.

A key topic at this year’s EGNOS Service Provision Workshop, which was held in Copenhagen from 29 – 30 September was aviation. Presentations focused on the many benefits that EGNOS brings to the sector, with an highlight being the launch of LPV-200 procedures.

“This year we have overcome challenges and achieved much success,” said GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “Aircraft manufacturers are increasingly using EGNOS, and the Airbus A350 is now EGNOS-capable. The number of LPV procedures keeps growing – with more than 200 procedures already published, the potential is huge.”

Launch of LPV-200

One of the biggest announcements from the event was the launch of LPV-200 (Localizer Performance with Vertical guidance). Using GNSS positioning technology, LPV-200 provides accurate information on an aircraft’s approach to a runway, resulting in lateral and angular vertical guidance without the need for visual contact with the ground until the aircraft is 200 feet above the runway. This means passengers can enjoy increased safer landings – particularly in bad weather conditions – thus reducing delays, diversions and cancellations. More so, LPV-200 is free of direct charge and requires no upgrade to existing certified EGNOS receivers.

GSA officials noted that LPV-200 represents a key milestone in the development of EGNOS. “The declaration of LPV 200 brings EGNOS to the same operational use standard as the US’s WAAS,” said EGNOS Exploitation Programme Manager Jean-Marc Pieplu. “Now, the GSA is committed to expanding the programme’s coverage area to include all EU 28 Member States – and beyond.”

“LPV 200 is a great achievement for EGNOS and we should be very proud”. added des Dorides“

Finding Flexibility

As LPV implementation continues to grow in Europe, the GSA is well aware that it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. “We know our approach needs to be different for different users,” said des Dorides.

To ensure this flexibility, the GSA has been working with the General Aviation (GA) sector to support EASA approval of the avionics system most widely used by GA pilots: the Garmin GNS430 and GNS530. “General Aviation demands cost-effective avionics,” said des Dorides. “By approving these models for LPV capability, we’re helping to bring the cost from €10000 per aircraft registration to just €300 – making EGNOS a realistic option for GA operators.”

EGNOS is also the preferred option for business aviation operators. To support this important aviation sector, the GSA and the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote the wide use of EGNOS -based navigation procedures at regional and small airports across Europe. Ten priority airfields are undergoing implementation, with a fleet already equipped and ready to fly LPV.

EGNOS Expanding

To ensure adoption is accelerated and harmonised across Europe, the GSA works closely with ESSP, the EGNOS service provider. “We do not work in isolation,” said GSA Market Development Officer Carmen Aguilera. “We have a key partnership with ESSP and also work closely with EUROCONTROL.” She noted that the GSA does not only focus on the implementation of procedures, but also on strategies that will include EGNOS in the future.

EUROCONTROL’s Frank Riquet agreed on the importance of working together to implement EGNOS across Europe. “There is a benefit for aviation to adopt PBN, and the keyword is safety,” he said. “At EUROCONTROL, we’re always trying to take it back to navigation, surveillance and its impact on traffic, which is why GNSS is a vital part of the network”

In addition to expansion in Europe, there are possibilities for EGNOS to expand beyond the European Union. “We want to extend both in Africa and to the east,” said Ugo Celestino of European Commission DG Grow. “EGNOS is a win-win occasion for non-European Union countries

as it allows them to get a technology that leverages existing public investments, and for the EU it opens new venues of technical cooperation, business, and long-term partnerships.” Celestino said that feedback from Ukraine has been very strong and there is work on-going on EGNOS procedures for airports in the south of Europe.

EGNOS is not only expanding geographically, but also in the types of aircraft it serves.  “EGNOS is more and more important for rotorcraft operations,” said Aguilera. “How can we implement operations powered by EGNOS that can be useful for rotorcraft users?  That’s our current question.” Rotorcraft brings different technological challenges to the equation, such as flying to airports that lack sophisticated – and expensive – ground infrastructure. The GSA is also exploring low-level RNAV routes so rotorcraft can fly safely even in bad weather.

Drones are another area where EGNOS will see growth. “We cannot forget about the use of GNSS in civil drones, and we have funded a lot of projects on this topic,” noted Aguilera. “This is not only to show that drones can do many things, but to show that EGNOS and Galileo can provide guidance.”

Benefiting Business

Several companies spoke in Copenhagen on their experiences using EGNOS, including Airbus, Skyguide, FlyingGroup and Air Baltic. “GNSS on Airbus aircraft is a core function in navigation, surveillance and communication,” said Airbus Navigation Systems Marketing Officer Frederic Belloir. He said it also provides increased airport accessibility, better efficiency with more direct routes, safety nets with ADS-B, TAWS, and enhanced passenger comfort.

More Information

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).