NetJets Europe is leading a two-year demonstration project involving new approach and landing technologies under the Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research (Sesar) program. The augmented approaches to land (AAL) project, financed in part by the Sesar joint undertaking, involves 15 organizations that will participate in more than 200 demonstrations flight at six airports in Europe. AAL is among 15 large-scale projects ongoing through 2016 to demonstrate benefits of Sesar.

The flights will be used to help develop procedures based on technologies such as curved RNP connected to a ground- and satellite-based augmentation system (GBAS/SBAS), synthetic vision guidance system and enhanced flight vision system.

AAL will explore business aircraft use of enhanced and synthetic vision for flights into small and regional airports in poor weather. Other approach procedures will be used for accessing large hubs, along with small airports, in metropolitan areas.

“The aim of the project is to pave the way for the uptake of these technologies, which are needed to overcome the limitations of the current ILS equipment, which is costly to install and maintain, and which can only guide straightforward approaches,” according to the Sesar joint undertaking.

Joining NetJets in the demonstration project are Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines, Airbus, Dassault, Elbit, Honeywell and EBAA, as well as several air navigation service providers and airports.