IndiGo plane becomes first to land using fuel-saving technology

No-frill carrier IndiGo on Saturday became the first Indian airline to carry out a landing at the Kochi airport using a system that allows an aircraft to be guided by a sophisticated on-board navigation system instead of ground-based radars. 

In carrying out this precision landing, an Airbus A-320 aircraft used the Required Navigation Performance (RNP) approach, which provides accurate and shorter flight paths and secure trajectories.

RNP, by allowing the use of on board systems and satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS), frees the plane from dependence on conventional ground-based navigation installations.

An airline spokesperson said Saturday’s first regular RNP flight was 6E-345 from Bangalore to Kochi. RNP approach would continue to be applied by IndiGo whenever its aircraft land at Kochi, with its entire fleet being equipped with the system.

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