ASECNA, in conjunction with NIGCOMSAT and Thales Alenia Space to accelerate SBAS development for aviation in Africa
ASECNA, in conjunction with NIGCOMSAT and Thales Alenia Space to accelerate SBAS development for aviation in Africa
ASECNA, NIGCOMSAT Ltd and Thales Alenia Space joining efforts through SBAS flight demonstrations at Lomé International Airport
LOME, Togo, February 1, 2021/ -- The Agency for Air Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar, ASECNA, the
Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd, NIGCOMSAT and Thales Alenia Space (www.ThalesAleniaSpace.com), joint venture between Thales (67 %) and Leonardo (33 %) joint efforts to accelerate SBAS development for aviation in Africa.
Following the broadcast of a SBAS (Satellite-Based Augmentation System) signal
over Africa & Indian Ocean (AFI) region since September 2020,
providing the first SBAS open service in this part of the world via
NIGCOMSAT-1R Satellite, the 3 partners have successfully conducted on 27 January 2021 a series of 5 flight demos at Lomé International Airport.
The goal was to show in real configuration the efficiency of the
technology developed in the frame of the early open service as part of
the « SBAS for Africa & Indian Ocean » programme which pursues the
autonomous provision over the continent of SBAS services, to augment the performances of the satellite navigation constellations GPS and
Galileo.
These tests were carried out by means of the ASECNA
calibration aircraft (ATR42-300), which has been equipped for the
occasion by Pildo Labs with specific sensors and embarked VIPs and
pilots in 5 rotations over Lome airport. The aim of the experiment was
to demonstrate the ability of the system to allow landings on the two
ends of the runway without deployment of local ground infrastructure and with a performance level close to the use of Instrument Landing Systems (ILS). It demonstrates the benefits of the future operational
safety-of-life SBAS services, expected from 2024, in terms of flight
safety, efficiency and of environmental protection.
The outcomes
of the demonstrations, as a crucial step forward the provision and use
of satellite navigation services in the Africa and Indian Ocean region,
were debriefed on 28 and 29 January during an international outreach
event on SBAS in aviation in Africa, gathering airlines, aircraft
manufacturers and other aviation stakeholders from all over the world.
“We are proud to support the SBAS for Africa & Indian Ocean open
service and to have contributed to the success of these inflight demos
using our geostationary communication satellite NIGCOMSAT-1R navigation
payload”, declared Dr. Abimbola Alale, MD/CEO of NIGCOMSAT Ltd. “The
SBAS demonstration flight feat is in line with policy direction of the
Honorable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy of Federal
Republic of Nigeria; Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) FNCS, FBCS, FIIM for
value addition and propensity not only in the Telecommunications Sector
but Aviation, Maritime, Rail Transport, Precision Agriculture, Survey,
Oil & Gas and Mass-Market Applications for sustainable development
beyond Nigerian shores”.
“Our longstanding expertise acquired
with the development of EGNOS [1] SBAS in Europe and KASS SBAS in Korea
combined with our new leading-edge satellite positioning technologies
makes Thales Alenia Space the ideal partner to best support countries to implement their own SBAS efficiently. We hope these series of demos
will help to accelerate SBAS adoption in aviation in Africa”, declared
Benoit Broudy, Vice President Navigation business at Thales Alenia
Space.
“I’m proud to have demonstrated the utility and efficiency of the SBAS services in the continent. This event will bolster the
deployment of the “SBAS for Africa & Indian Ocean” system, the
navigation solution for Africa by Africa, which will enhance air
navigation safety and efficiency for the benefit of the whole continent, in line with my vision for the unification of the African Sky”, stated
Mohamed Moussa, Director General of ASECNA.
[1] European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System
About ASECNA:
ASECNA (https://bit.ly/2MJb5HE) is an International public organisation. Its main mission is to provide air navigation services within an airspace of 16,500,000 square
kilometers, divided into six flight information regions (F.I.R) as
defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). ASECNA
also develops solutions for airport management, aviation infrastructure
studies and construction, equipment maintenance, calibration of air
navigation instruments and training for civil aviation staff. Its 18
Member States are: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African
Republic, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Gabon, Guinea Bissau,
Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Chad
and Togo.
About Thales Alenia Space:
Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space (www.ThalesAleniaSpace.com) delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation,
Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and
orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide
anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet,
enhance management of its resources, and explore our Solar System and
beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to
build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between
Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with
Telespazio to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, which offers a
complete range of services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated
revenues of approximately 2.15 billion euros in 2019 and has around
7,700 employees in nine countries.
About NIGCOMSAT:
Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd (NIGCOMSAT) (www.NIGCOMSAT.gov.ng) is a company and agency under the Federal Ministry of Communications
and Digital Economy whose mission is to be the leading satellite
operator and service provider in Africa. NIGCOMSAT Ltd owns and operates the Nigerian Communications Satellite. The company provides innovative
and cutting-edge satellite communications solutions by operating and
managing a geostationary communication satellite-NigComSat–1R, built to
provide domestic and international satellite services via a 2-way
satellite communications services across West, Central, South East
Africa, Europe and Asia. The satellite is a hybrid Communication
Satellite with a payload for navigation overlay services (NOS) system
similar to EGNOS.
ASECNA, in conjunction with NIGCOMSAT and Thales Alenia Space to accelerate SBAS development for aviation in Africa
ASECNA, in conjunction with NIGCOMSAT and Thales Alenia Space to accelerate SBAS development for aviation in Africa
ASECNA, in conjunction with NIGCOMSAT and Thales Alenia Space to accelerate SBAS development for aviation in Africa
ASECNA, in conjunction with NIGCOMSAT and Thales Alenia Space to accelerate SBAS development for aviation in Africa
ASECNA, in conjunction with NIGCOMSAT and Thales Alenia Space to accelerate SBAS development for aviation in Africa
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