HAL Airport launches India’s first RNP CAT H helicopter approach

HAL Airport, Bengaluru, has become the first airport in India to operationalize the Required Navigation Performance – Category H (RNP CAT H) helicopter approach procedure, a satellite-guided precision navigation system designed exclusively for helicopters.

Developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), validated through flight trials by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) test pilots and approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), this approach allows helicopters to fly highly accurate optimized paths, enabling all-weather access while safely navigating terrain and urban obstacles. The procedure reduces the approach time to HAL Airport from 12 minutes to about four minutes.

Ravi K, Chairman and Managing Director of HAL, said: “The operationalization 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.”

This system enhances operational efficiency and airspace capacity, enables seamless integration of rotary- and fixed-wing operations, reduces noise footprints over cities, and provides faster, safer routes for critical missions such as air ambulance and rescue operations.

Air India, SkyDrive, and Suzuki Motor Corporation recently signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the use of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for medical air logistics in India.