The St. Moritz-Samedan regional airport is getting an instrument approach system for the 2017 World Ski Championships. Thanks to the satellite-based system, approaches through closed cloud cover can be made safely and reliably; an increase in traffic is not expected as a result of the new approach.
The new GNSS instrument approach makes flights to Engadin safer and easier to plan, as approaches can take place through a closed cloud cover. “However, there will be no bad weather landings in the future due to heavy snowfall and low-hanging clouds,” explains Corado Manzoni, airport manager. “For our customers, however, the new approach provides greater safety and greater operational planning.”
First, at over 4,200 meters above sea level, the aircraft head to one of two waiting rooms high above the Lower Engadine or the Oberhalbstein. From there, they are guided by radar onto the extended runway axis in the Zernez or Maloja area and from there begin the approach and descent to the Samedan regional airport.
From an altitude of around 2,700 meters (8,800 feet) above sea level, the final approach is then only visible. To do this, the aircraft must have pierced the cloud cover and the pilots must see the runway at the airport.
If there is no visual contact with the runway, the approach must be aborted; the aircraft boards again, goes to one of the waiting rooms again or flies on to an alternative airport.
Since Engadin Airport itself has neither a radar system nor a conventional instrument landing system, the aircraft fly on the basis of satellite data (GPS). They must maintain very large distances from each other. Under instrument flight conditions, only a maximum of four to five approaches per hour will therefore be possible.
“The GNSS approach is not comparable with an instrument landing system at a major airport. Since we have no radar monitoring in the valley, we have to separate the aircraft very strongly,” says Peter Christian Müller, professional pilot and member of the administrative commission of the Samedan Regional Airport infrastructure company, which is owned by the Upper Engadin population.
“The advantage of the GNSS system lies more in the fact that all instrument approaches are now carried out according to an internationally published procedure. This significantly increases safety.”
The GNSS approach to the 2017 World Ski Championships will only be introduced temporarily. Definitive commissioning is only planned for winter 2018/2019.
“The instrument approach is in line with a request from the airport and its international customers for a very long time,” explains airport manager Corado Manzoni. “We would therefore like to have a permanent operation earlier. However, the trial operation will give us, Skyguide air traffic control and the Federal Office of Civil Aviation the opportunity to gain valuable experience.”
Engadin Airport AG
Corado Manzoni
Airport manager
+41 81 851 08 20
corado.manzoni@engadin-airport.ch
Infrastructure company Samedan Regional Airport
Peter Christian Müller
Member of the Administrative Commission
Please inquire via Corado Manzoni