HAL Airport, Bengaluru, has become the country’s first airport to operationalise a satellite-guided precision navigation system designed exclusively for helicopters, the state-run aircraft maker said on Friday.
Called the Required Navigation Performance – Category H (RNP CAT H) helicopter approach procedure, it has been developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), validated through flight trials by HAL test pilots and approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
“The operationalisation of India’s first RNP CAT H helicopter approach is a significant milestone for the country’s aviation ecosystem. This capability enhances the safety, efficiency and accessibility of helicopter operations and establishes a benchmark for similar procedures to be implemented at airports across the country,” said HAL chief Ravi K.
It allows helicopters to fly highly accurate optimised paths, enabling all-weather access while safely navigating terrain and urban obstacles. The procedure reduces the approach time to HAL Airport from 12 minutes to about four minutes, HAL said.
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“This system enhances operational efficiency and airspace capacity, enables seamless integration of rotary and fixed-wing operations, reduces noise footprints over cities, and provides faster, safer routes for critical missions such as air ambulance and rescue operations.”
With nearly 50 helicopter movements daily at the airport, HAL has closed a long-standing gap in India’s aviation infrastructure with this launch, paving the way for safer, smarter helicopter operations, it added. The airport is used by HAL, National Flight Test Centre (NFTC), Centre for Airborne Systems and Aircraft (CABS), and Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE). It is also used for VIP movement.
