IndiGo A320 Makes History, Becomes First Passenger Jet to Land Using GAGAN System in India

On June 27, an IndiGo Airbus A320 landed at Udaipur airport using the Gagan satellite-based navigation system instead of the conventional ground-based radio landing aid. This marks the first time a full-sized passenger jet in India completed a landing using the technology.

The landing highlights a key development in civil aviation as India deployed its indigenous satellite-based navigation system, Gagan, to guide a commercial passenger aircraft during approach and touchdown.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that while similar satellite-based approaches had earlier been carried out on smaller turboprop aircraft, this was the first such landing involving a commercial narrow-body passenger jet using the system.

Satellite Landing Method

The flight performed a Localiser Performance with Vertical Guidance (LPV) approach, which provides both horizontal and vertical guidance to pilots during landing. Such operations using Gagan had so far been limited to turboprop aircraft.

Gagan stands for GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation and is a satellite-based augmentation system that enhances the accuracy of GPS signals. It does not work as a standalone navigation system but corrects GPS errors using data from ground stations and satellites.

How Gagan Navigation System Works?

The system works through 15 ground stations located across India which constantly monitor GPS signals and compare them with very accurate reference points. The correction data is then transmitted to the aircraft in real time via geostationary satellites GSAT-8 and GSAT-10.

Officials said this improves navigation accuracy during aircraft approaches, especially in low-visibility conditions. It also reduces reliance on ground-based Instrument Landing System (ILS) equipment, which can be expensive to install at airports.

ISRO said Gagan is designed to make flight operations safer and more efficient and to improve air traffic movement across Indian airspace. And it works with global navigation systems, supporting smoother international flight operations.