World’s First NORMARC 7000 Ultra-Wide ILS Localizer Successfully Flight Commissioned

Skyguide, the Swiss Air Navigation Service Provider, has successfully completed the commissioning flight inspection of the world’s first NORMARC Ultra-Wide Instrument Landing System (ILS) Localizer to CAT III standards. The stability test period following the flight inspection was successfully completed in mid-November. Final certification is expected to be completed in a few weeks from now. The 75-meter wide localizer is installed at Zurich’s main landing runway 14. Skyguide will put the system into full CAT III (low visibility) operation in December 2014.

“As a result of increased traffic at Zurich Airport, we continuously face pressures to improve runway efficiency. Our strong collaboration with the project team at Indra Navia will help us get maximum usage out of our infrastructure without compromising the safety of passengers. We are excited to see the benefits that result from putting this new 32-Element NORMARC into operational use,” says Hervé Demule, Project Manager at skyguide.

This latest member of the NORMARC ILS family provides an estimated possible gain of 10%-20% in runway efficiency, potentially improving the airport’s profitability. The NORMARC Ultra-Wide Localizer’s narrow sensitive area allows ILS CAT III holding points and large aircraft movements (such as the Airbus A380) to be moved closer to the runway in CAT III operations. The implementation of the operational benefits will take place from 2015.