Gdansk Airport operating the best navigation system in Poland

The largest European airports have such systems. It enables take-offs and landings even in heavy fog and will reduce the number of flights canceled in Gdansk or redirected to other airports to almost zero.

“Every plane and every passenger who, due to weather conditions, cannot fly directly to our region is important to us and that is why we are constantly improving the infrastructure of our Airport”– said Mieczysław Struk, the Marshal of the Pomeranian Province.

So far, with the operating ILS category II system, landings in Gdansk could take place when the fog limited visibility along the runway to 300 meters including. At the same time, the crew of the plane approaching landing had to see the approach lights from the height of 30 meters. As of today, the minimum visibility on the runway is only 75 m, and the height at which the flight crew must see the approach lights has dropped to zero.  

“In the times of economic slump, it becomes common to hold back and wait. But the leaders take advantage of the recession to “leap forward”, to meet the expectations of our residents and visitors. We do the same in Gdansk and at our Airport” - said Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, the Mayor of Gdansk.

The works on launching the III category ILS have been underway in Gdansk for over 4 years. It was a process in which: the Airport, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency and the Civil Aviation Authority had to do their job. The system of verification of the position of aircraft and vehicles was the airport’s responsibility. At the same time, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency had to expand the existing ILS with additional antenna. Both parties, in cooperation with the Civil Aviation Authority, agreed on the changes to the airport’s operating procedures. Then the entire system was inspected and tested, which has led to issuing the appropriate certificate by the Civil Aviation Authority on January 21st 2021. 

“The implementation of this investment was an excellent team effort and therefore, addressing the President of the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency, Janusz Janiszewski and the President of the Civil Aviation Authority, Piotr Samson, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the hard and professional work of their people. Without their effort and commitment, the most modern ILS system in Poland would not exist at the airport in Gdansk” - said Tomasz Klosowski, the President of Lech Walesa’s Gdansk Airport.

The total cost of launching the new system reached almost PLN 7.5 million. The airport has invested 5.1 million to adapt the airport to category III B and PLN 340 thousand for MLAT multilateration transponders. The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency has spent PLN 2 million on the FFM (Far Field Monitor) antenna. 

“The best ILS category in Poland is an important piece of news, both for our residents who will be able to land safely and for our partners, that is airlines, so that they can continue to invest in the development of their bases at the airport, because we provide them with safety and reliability of flights at the highest level” - said Jacek Karnowski, the Mayor of Sopot.

“The inhabitants of our Gdynia, the tourists and investors get a clear signal that we are using the time of the pandemic also to prepare for their comfortable service in the near future” - said Wojciech Szczurek, the Mayor of Gdynia.

Gdansk Airport has systematically been upgrading the ILS system. In 1977, the airport was equipped with ILS I category, since 2015 it was ILS II category, and now we start operating the ILS of the highest III category.  

“An airport with the most modern ILS system in Poland gives almost 100% certainty and reliability of take-offs and landings. However, its effectiveness will also depend on the training of airline employees and the capabilities of their aircrafts. The entire fleet and crews of Wizz Air are authorized to use III B category, and Ryanair - III A category. In Polish Airlines LOT the Dreamliners land in category III B, Boeing 738, Embraery 170 and 190 in category III A, and Bombardiers Dh8D in category II” - informs Jaroslaw Trzoska, the Head of Operations Department at Gdansk Airport.  

As a part of the project adapting to ILS cat. III B requirements, the Gdansk Airport has developed and implemented changes to the existing LVP (Low Visibility Procedures), indispensable in the event of low visibility, which are aimed at ensuring the safety of taxiing aircraft. The so-called inductive loops were installed in the operational pavement of the airport, thanks to which the air traffic controllers on the airport tower can determine the position of the planes on the fly. They also know where the airport vehicles are, they can quickly dispose of them and remove them from the maneuvering area before taxiing, landing and take-off operations in difficult conditions. Aircrafts with minimum visibility use navigation lighting in such operation. In order to ensure the  excellent performance of the entire system, it was also necessary to launch an additional ILS antenna (the so-called far field monitor of the ILS system antenna).