DGCA conducts first satellite-based landing system approach on jet aircraft in India using GAGAN

New Delhi: In a significant step towards modernising aviation navigation systems, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has for the first time conducted a satellite-based landing system (SLS) approach on a jet engine aircraft in India, according to Saurabh Sinha's TOI report.

The exercise was carried out on an IndiGo Airbus A320 at Udaipur airport using the GAGAN (GPS-aided geo augmented navigation) system, jointly developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

Officials said the aircraft successfully executed a Localiser Performance with Vertical Guidance (LPV) approach, marking a key milestone in extending satellite-based navigation to jet operations. Until now, such procedures in India had been limited to turboprop aircraft.


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SLS enables aircraft to use satellite-based corrections for precision landings, reducing dependence on ground-based Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), particularly at airports without expensive precision landing infrastructure.

IndiGo had introduced LPV operations on its ATR fleet in 2022 and has since expanded satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS)-enabled navigation across its aircraft fleet.

“SBAS… enhances accuracy, integrity and availability of standard GNSS signals by broadcasting correction data from geostationary satellites,” said a senior pilot. “Instead of depending solely on equipment installed at airports, it allows pilots to receive precise horizontal and vertical guidance while approaching the runway,” he added.

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Officials said the development positions India among a select group of countries with an indigenous SBAS capability, with GAGAN expected to play a larger role in improving safety and efficiency at secondary airports in the coming years.

(With inputs from TOI)