Photo courtesy of DFS
Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS) and the Netherlands’ air navigation service provider (LVNL) have agreed to exchange instrument systems, DFS said. Under the agreement, the two countries are to procure instrument land systems (ILS).
According to DFS, the agreement is in support of the renewal of the ILS facilities at 11 German and four Dutch airports, as well as three test and training systems. DFS said that by procuring the systems together, the two would receive “significantly more favorable conditions” while buying. Both entities are investing tens of millions of dollars, according to DFS, to renew their ILS infrastructures by 2030.
An ILS is a ground-based system installed at airports that guides pilots during the landing approach, DFS said. DFS operates some 50 instruments at 16 international airports while LVNL operates 10. ILS equipment has a maximum service life of about two decades, meaning Germany and the Netherlands have to renew an average of three systems each year, DFS said.
This agreement marks the first time DFS and LVNL have defined common technical requirements for the ILS plants for the first time, DFS said. They are supplied by Thales. The first Tales ILS 420 turbines are to be delivered this year. DFS said the first operationally deployed ILS is to be delivered next year to airports in Hamburg, Nuremberg and Hanover, as well as at Schiphol in Amsterdam.