Thales to Support the Modernisation of the Greek Civil Aviation Navigation Aids Infrastructure

July 14, 2021

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Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority has awarded Thales a contract to support the modernisation of the Greek civil aviation Navigation Aids infrastructure. This turnkey contract includes the supply of 10 Doppler VHF Omnidirectional Range (DVOR), 13 Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) and 6 Instrument Landing systems (ILS). It also comprises of the installation of the instruments on 18 different sites across the country, from remote mountain peaks, to major hubs such as the Athens International Airport.

The Navigation Surveillance capabilities will ensure all-weather, en-route navigation and approach services and will   significantly increase both safety and air traffic efficiency.

• Navigation Aids (NAVAIDS) are physical devises on the ground that assist pilots defining the aircraft’s position during landing, takeoff as well as during the flight to accurately navigate through the airspace.  
• The DVOR and DME are ground-based radiofrequency and processing beacon systems that provide bearing and distance to the aircraft crew to verify the position and to navigate in the air space within the predefined routes and flight procedures (the sky “highways”) in full situation awareness and safe conditions.
• The ILS (Instrumental Landing System) is a ground-based radiofrequency system, installed at the airport runwaythat generates an electromagnetic path for the pilots to follow during the critical landing maneuver. The ILS increases safety and reliability and, as a result, enhances the efficiency of approach and landing procedure especially under poor weather and visibility conditions.

All these instruments must run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without any unpredicted service interruptions to ensure the safety of air travelers. These systems are fully designed and manufactured by Thales to ensure the highest level of precision, interoperability and reliability.

Over 60% of this project will be executed locally in collaboration with Greek Industries including Thales Hellas, highlighting the country’s technical expertise in delivering critical infrastructures.

"This award is a testament to the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority’s renewed confidence in Thales as a partner to provide advanced ground-based air navigation systems. We are proud to support Greece’s initiative to provide an even safer and more efficient airspace for travellers." Christophe Salomon, Executive Vice President, Thales - Land & Air Systems.

Source : Thales