India records first passenger jet landing using indigenous Gagan satellite navigation system
New Delhi, June 29. In a significant milestone for Indian civil aviation, an IndiGo Airbus A320 successfully landed at Udaipur airport on June 27 using India’s indigenous Gagan satellite-based navigation system instead of conventional ground-based radio landing aids.
The operation marked the first time in India that a full-sized commercial passenger jet completed an approach and landing using the Gagan-enabled system, underscoring the country’s growing capabilities in advanced aviation navigation technologies.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), satellite-guided approaches using Gagan had previously been conducted only with smaller turboprop aircraft. The IndiGo flight became the first commercial narrow-body passenger aircraft to carry out such an operation.
The aircraft performed a Localiser Performance with Vertical Guidance (LPV) approach, a procedure that provides pilots with precise horizontal and vertical guidance during landing. Until now, LPV operations using Gagan had been restricted to turboprop aircraft.
Gagan, short for GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation, is India’s satellite-based augmentation system designed to improve the accuracy and reliability of GPS signals. Rather than functioning as an independent navigation system, it enhances GPS performance by correcting positioning errors through a network of ground stations and satellites.
The system relies on 15 monitoring stations spread across the country that continuously assess GPS signals against highly accurate reference points. Correction data is then transmitted in real time to aircraft through the geostationary satellites GSAT-8 and GSAT-10.
Officials said the technology significantly improves navigation accuracy during aircraft approaches, particularly in poor visibility conditions, while also reducing dependence on costly ground-based Instrument Landing System (ILS) infrastructure at airports.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has said that Gagan is aimed at making flight operations safer and more efficient, while improving the management of air traffic across Indian airspace. The system is also compatible with global navigation networks, facilitating smoother international flight operations.
