Offenbach application for different navigation technology to avoid noise receives approval from the Aircraft Noise Commission

Mayor Peter Schneider had requested that the aircraft equipment be changed from the 2019/2020 flight plan onwards. This should enable more varied approach procedures that cause less noise over the densely populated city of Offenbach. This would be achieved by flying around Offenbach at certain times instead of over it, without excessively burdening neighboring communities. With this change, Fraport AG could demand long-overdue standards from the airlines landing in Frankfurt. This would also serve the economic efficiency and safety of air traffic. "However, it is crucial that fewer people are affected by unreasonable and unhealthy aircraft noise," said Mayor Schneider. "A modification of Frankfurt Airport's operating permit will have to be included in the review of the application."

On the basis of the application submitted by the City of Offenbach am Main, the Frankfurt Aircraft Noise Commission will call on all responsible parties involved - Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH (DFS), the Federal Supervisory Authority for Air Navigation Services (BAF) and the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport and Regional Development (HMWEVL) - to clarify how the proportion of aircraft using area navigation (RNAV 1 or RNAV (GPS) Approach) can be increased to almost 100 percent in the short term. The Commission is also calling for an examination of how the approach procedures that are already technically possible today can become mandatory. Currently, around 80 to 90 percent of aircraft approaching Frankfurt Airport are already equipped with this navigation technology. Implementation by the 2019/2020 flight planning period therefore appears realistic.

Furthermore, as a next step, the Aircraft Noise Commission Frankfurt calls on all responsible parties involved to actively support and incentivize the introduction of satellite-based precision approach procedures by increasing the GBAS equipment rate. This should enable quieter approach procedures based on the new GBAS technology at Frankfurt Airport on a larger scale in the short and medium term.

Background:

Fraport AG and Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS) have already jointly created a ground-based augmentation system (GBAS) for GPS signals in order to further improve the accuracy and thus the range of applications of the navigation equipment (also with regard to quieter flight procedures). With this GBAS station, the GPS data coming from the satellite is corrected by a ground station and sent to the aircraft.

On the basis of this technology, approaches can be carried out higher in the final approach in future and horizontal approach routes at low altitudes can be avoided in the medium term.

However, a prerequisite for the widespread use of GBAS is that, in addition to the equipment already installed on the ground, the aircraft are also equipped with this innovative technology. In addition, the GBAS equipment must also be activated by the airlines (for a fee) and the aircraft crews must be licensed for GBAS approaches by their national aviation authorities. The current GBAS equipment rate of aircraft at Frankfurt Airport is currently around eight percent.