Incheon Airport Develops World's First 3D Ground Vehicle Navigation for Aircraft

"Real-Time Provision of Required Information in 3D Format"

Incheon International Airport Corporation announced on the 3rd that it has completed the development of the world's first '3D Navigation System for Aircraft Ground Movement.'

This navigation system allows information such as ground traffic conditions, movement routes, and various hazard alerts within the airport, which were previously provided only to air traffic controllers, to be utilized during aircraft ground movement as well. It provides real-time 3D navigation information to airlines operating at the airport.

Final system verification work is being conducted on actual flight operations in June.
[Photo by Incheon International Airport Corporation]

During flight, aircraft receive digital information using communication and navigation systems. However, during ground movement, they rely solely on analog facilities such as airport lighting, signage, and voice guidance, which can lead to safety incidents like wrong entry.

With the full introduction of this system, the existing analog system will be converted into digital information, guiding aircraft to the runway and preventing wrong entries. Additionally, it will reduce aircraft ground movement time, cutting approximately 13,515 tons of CO2 emissions annually.

This is the screen display of the 3D ground movement navigation system for aircraft developed by the corporation. [Photo by Incheon International Airport Corporation]

The corporation began developing this navigation system in 2021. After successfully conducting system trial operations in November last year, it applied the system to actual aircraft operations last month for final verification. Verification was conducted on five flights, including Jeju Air flight 7C1106 (Incheon-Narita).

The corporation plans to fully implement the system by 2024. Through this, Incheon Airport aims to become the world's first airport to operate at Level 5 according to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) 'Aircraft Ground Movement Guidance and Control System Grade Standards.' Since April 2020, it has been classified as the only Level 4.5 airport worldwide.

Lee Hak-jae, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, stated, “As Incheon Airport holds a global advantage in the field of 3D navigation for aircraft ground movement, we plan to accelerate the system's introduction and lead international standards.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.