Short answer: A navaid upgrade and approach minima reduction study checks whether improving ILS, DME/DME, VOR/DME, SBAS, GBAS or another navigation capability can lower approach minima and increase usable operating time for a specific airport or runway under local weather conditions.
What makes the business case reliable
- Historical ceiling, visibility, wind and RVR analysis.
- Current and candidate procedure minima comparison.
- Obstacle and terrain limits on achievable OCA/H.
- Runway lighting, marking and infrastructure constraints.
- Fleet equipage and operational approval assumptions.
- Expected recovered operations during low visibility periods.
- Cost, implementation complexity and maintenance impact.
- Clear recommendation on whether the upgrade is worth it.
Why weather matters
A theoretical minima reduction has limited value if local meteorology rarely falls between the old minima and the new minima. The study should quantify how often the upgraded procedure would recover real operations.
Frequently asked questions
Can a navaid upgrade reduce approach minima?
Sometimes. The benefit depends on obstacle environment, procedure design, aircraft capability, navaid type, runway infrastructure and local meteorological conditions such as ceiling, visibility, wind and RVR.
What data is used?
The study can use historical METAR, SPECI, RVR, ceiling, visibility, wind, procedure minima, obstacle constraints and runway infrastructure data to estimate the practical accessibility gain.
How do you calculate potential approach minima reductions?
We combine ICAO PANS-OPS obstacle assessment surfaces with historical METAR and SPECI weather data. This allows us to simulate how infrastructure upgrades (like ILS Cat II/III or SBAS) would improve runway accessibility in real-world conditions.
Can SBAS or GBAS help reduce approach minima?
Yes, our studies test if implementing SBAS (LPV) or GBAS can achieve lower Decision Altitudes (DA) compared to existing conventional procedures, significantly reducing diversions due to low visibility.
Quantify minima benefits
Use weather, procedure and infrastructure data to decide before investing.