ESSP (European Satellite Service Provider) has signed an EGNOS working agreement with LFV from Sweden and AVINOR from Norway (© ESSP)

ESSP has just signed an EGNOS Working Agreement (EWA) with LFV from Sweden and Avinor from Norway.

It is a key step for the implementation of EGNOS-based approach procedures (LPV procedures)  at Swedish and Norwegian airports.
The signature was sealed by ESSP President Dirk Werquin and Avinor ANS CEO, Anders Kirsebom in early December and by Dirk Werquin and LFV Director of ATM Production, Anna Helena Wåhlin, in mid December 2013.

The EGNOS Working Agreement formalizes the operational and technical modalities between ESSP and Avinor AS, and between ESSP and LFV, in order to support the gradual introduction and use of EGNOS LPV (Localizer Performance with Vertical guidance) approaches in Norwegian and Swedish airports.

From now on, both Avinor and LFV can start designing and publishing EGNOS-based procedures that will improve safety, accessibility and efficiency to pilots and operators at their local airports.

"We are very pleased with this contract, and look forward to implement the technology on our airports in the years to come. Improving safety and efficiency on our airports will be of great benefit to our customer" said Avinor Project Manager Alexander Løvar.

"The agreement on precision navigation with satellite data from EGNOS is an important step for air navigation services. We expect to be able to take the new technology into use sometime in the summer" says Anna Helena Wåhlin from LFV.

EGNOS provides a cost effective alternative to ILS CAT I, offering similar performance, and it is free !

EGNOS:
The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, is a Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) that improves the accuracy and provides integrity to the GPS Signal over most of Europe.The EC owns and manages the EGNOS system. ESA is the EGNOS design agent under a delegation agreement with the EC. Similar services are provided in North America by the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), in Japan by the Multifunctional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS) and in India by the GAGAN System. Other similar Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) are under study or development in other regions of the world. It is Europe's first venture into satellite navigation and a major stepping-stone towards Galileo, Europe's own global satellite navigation system for the future. Starting from 1st January 2014, EGNOS is managed by the European GNSS Agency (GSA).

ESSP SAS:
Founded in 2009 by the Air navigation services providers from France (DGAC/DSNA), Germany (DFS), Italy (ENAV)), Portugal (NAV-P), Spain (Aena), Switzerland (skyguide) and UK (NATS) to act as service Provider for the EGNOS system, the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service. ESSP has for mission the provision of the EGNOS Open Service (OS) and Safety of Life (SoL) Service compliant with ICAO SBAS standards and recommended practices throughout the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) Region and is also in charge of the provision of the EDAS Service (EGNOS Data Access Service)

AVINOR:
Avinor AS is a state-owned limited company that operates most of the civil airports in Norway.
Avinor was created on 1 January 2003, by the privatization of the Norwegian Civil Aviation Administration known as Luftfartsverket. Its head office is in Bjørvika, Oslo. Avinor owns and operates 46 airports in Norway and is responsible for air traffic control services in Norway.

LFV:
LFV is a public enterprise with approx. 1,250 employees that operates air navigation services for civil and military customers at 28 locations in Sweden. We have sales of over SEK 3 billion. LFV is one of Europe's leading actors in air navigation services. Our solutions for even safer and more cost-effective air navigation are being noticed, and in the area of environment we are at the forefront to minimize environmental impact.



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