AndrewDoyle/MUNICH Herman de Wulf/BRUSSELS
German air traffic control agency DFS has launched trials of global positioning system (GPS)-based departure procedures from three German airports in a bid to reduce noise disturbances for local communities.
The tests, being carried out at Dortmund, Münster/Osnabrück and Paderborn airports, involve using GPS as the sole means for navigating the departure path and will last for one year. The results are expected to be published by the end of 2001.
The trials follow a test programme which began earlier this year with the aim of "making GPS departure procedures available in the future to all airspace users carrying the appropriate equipment", says DFS. Taking part in the research and development phase are Augsburg Airways, Eurowings, Hapag-Lloyd and Lufthansa, alongside industrial participants Flight Inspection International, Jeppesen, Lido and Swissair Flight Support plus the German Federal Office of Civil Aviation.
"Satellite navigation enables our procedure planners to define the new departure routes solely in accordance with the criteria of the efficient conduct of flights and noise abatement criteria," says the DFS.
The agency adds it wants to make the new flight procedures available to its customers "as soon as possible" with the long-term objective of "introducing satellite-based approach and departure procedures at all airports in Germany".
Meanwhile, the Dutch ministry of transport has established a historical first by fining Amsterdam Schiphol airport for having exceeded noise limits on one of its runways. The airport must pay a NLG500,000 ($200,000) fine for having exceeded the allocated noise quota on 22 October on runway 01/19 named "Aalsmeerbaan" after the nearby village.
Operations on the parallel 01/19 (called "Kaagbaan" after the local community) have also been found to have exceeded noise limits. Noise levels are not measured in the Netherlands, but calculated by computers which are fed flight information, including the runway involved, the time of day, the type of aircraft and the amount of noise legally allowed.
The data is calculated on an annual basis for each runway, with the airport's "environmental year" running from 1 November to31 October. As a result of the airport exceeding limits, Schiphol had to reduce movements on the runways involved up to 31 October. The airport's "noise quota meter" starts ticking again from the beginning of November.
Source: Flight International
