Thales wins navigation contract for St Helena Islands first airport

The contract, will see the Thales UK and South African teams provide and install all the navigational aids necessary for the new airport to be classified as a commercial airport; including an Instrument Landing System (ILS) to provide pilots with reliable and accuratelanding information in reduced visibility conditions and a Doppler VHF Omni-directional Radio Range system (DVOR) to give bearing information to pilots.

Thaless Distance Measuring Equipment, combined with the ILS and DVOR systems, will provide pilots with en-route and runway distance information, to allow them to make the safest decisions possible.

A British dependency, the island of St Helena is one of the worlds most remote inhabited locations. The St Helena airport project, which is being funded by Britains Department for International Development (DFID), will provide the island with a much needed stimulus to boost tourism and reinforce economic development, eventually leading to self-sufficiency.

Marion Broughton, head of Thales UKs aerospace business, says: Thales is delighted to be working with Basil Read on this prestigious project and is committed to ensuring that airports such as St Helenas are fitted with cutting-edge systems to keep their skies safe.