FAA ponders need for $1 billion LAAS system
At press time, the FAA’s GPS local-area augmentation system (LAAS) appeared to be hanging in the balance while agency officials were attempting to determin

At press time, the FAA’s GPS local-area augmentation system (LAAS) appeared to be hanging in the balance while agency officials were attempting to determine whether there really was a firm industry need for the system. But at the same time, and coincidentally, the agency announced that it expected this month to approve the use of required navigation performance (RNP) techniques to allow IMC approaches to the closely spaced parallel runways at San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

Informed sources cite three main factors that could have contributed to the uncertainty about LAAS. First, cash-strapped airlines are understood to be reluctant to purchase, install and certify Cat I LAAS units to achieve no better limits than today’s ILS, for which they are already equipped.