BENGALURU: HAL Airport in Bengaluru has become the first airport in India to operationalise a satellite-guided helicopter approach procedure, a move expected to improve safety, reduce flight times and enable more reliable all-weather operations.“The Required Navigation Performance Category H (RNP CAT H) approach, developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), is designed exclusively for helicopters. The procedure was validated through flight trials by HAL test pilots and approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA),” HAL said Friday.The new approach, it added, enables helicopters to fly highly accurate, optimised flight paths using satellite-based navigation, allowing them to safely negotiate terrain and urban obstacles while operating in adverse weather conditions.According to HAL, the procedure cuts the approach time to HAL Airport from around 12 minutes to about 4 minutes.“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,” HAL chairman and managing director Ravi K said.
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Besides improving safety, the system is expected to enhance operational efficiency and airspace capacity by allowing smoother integration of helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft movements. It also reduces the noise footprint over urban areas by enabling more precise flight paths.The faster approach routes are expected to benefit time-critical operations such as air ambulance services and search-and-rescue missions. HAL Airport, which handles nearly 50 helicopter movements every day, is one of the country’s busiest helicopter hubs. The introduction of the RNP CAT H procedure addresses a long-standing gap in India’s aviation infrastructure and could serve as a model for similar helicopter navigation procedures at other airports.
