Indian heliport implements the country’s first PinS instrument system
Approval for the point-in-space satellite approach and departure system was granted by India’s national aviation regulator
Undavalli Heliport, in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, has announced the approval of the country’s first point-in-space (PinS) instrument approach and departure system.
The satellite-based system, developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and approved by the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), will allow for the safe operation of helicopters from landing sites where conventional instrument landing systems are not available.
The approval is expected to be a watershed moment for the rollout of similar PinS systems at other airports and heliports across India.
The system will also facilitate helicopter operations in bad weather, periods of low visibility, and in remote areas.
Consequently, the implementation of PinS systems across India is expected to offer significant improvements to the safety and responsiveness of disaster relief and air ambulance services.
Indian aerospace firm Tata Advanced Systems recently inaugurated the country’s first private-sector helicopter final assembly line for the Airbus H125, in partnership with Airbus Helicopters.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at AirMed&Rescue. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.