Santa Maria Airport with new ILS

NAV Portugal has replaced the Localizer and Glide Path antennas of the ILS on runway 18 at Santa Maria Airport.

The work, which began on 29 May, included removing the antennas and supporting structures and old cabling, replacing the infrastructures for the passage of cables and installing new cabling, antennas and equipment.

The intervention, properly approved by ANAC, ended last 15 June 2023 with the certification flight, essential to verify the compliance of the equipment with the operational requirements.
The work, with a budget of 250,000.00 Euros, is part of NAV Portugal's commitment to maintain the highest level of operational capability at Santa Maria Airport.

In this circumstance NAV Portugal CEO Pedro Ângelo states that:
"At NAV Portugal we invest in technology and innovation to offer a safe and efficient air navigation service.

The airports where we operate have the most modern navigation systems, like the new ILS of Santa Maria, which is now entering into operation.

Moreover, this investment is based on a strategy of continuous development that NAV Portugal has undertaken for several years, as we can see with the construction of the new ops room in Santa Maria and Lisbon, the new TOPSKY air traffic management system which has been in operation for a few months in the Lisbon Flight Information Region, the beginning of the replacement of the RADAR in Montejunto next July, and the execution of the MADWINDS project soon in Madeira" - he also emphasized.

The Instrumental Landing System (ILS) is an air navigation aid system that uses on-board and ground instruments to guide the aircraft during the final stage of landing. It provides accurate information about the aircraft's position and trajectory relative to the runway, allowing it to be safer and more accurate, even in unfavorable weather conditions.
With ILS, pilots can perform landings in operating conditions with lower visibility, increasing the airport's operating capacity. In addition, the system reduces the need for complicated approach maneuvers, which means fuel savings and reduced flight time.