The EGNOS Safety-of-Life (SoL) Service for aviation enables aircraft to make approaches with vertical guidance. This improves the safety of air navigation and helps reduce delays, diversions, and flight cancellations. It also allows airports to increase capacity and helps cut operations costs compared to ground-based navigation aids.
Many small and medium-sized airports cannot afford ground-based navigation aids such as an instrument landing system (ILS). By using the EGNOS SoL Service, those airports will be able to make landing much safer than before. They only need to invest in the development of EGNOS-specific approach procedures and the aircraft must be equipped with an SBAS-enabled receiver. For big airports that are equipped with ground-based navigation aids, the EGNOS SoL Service is a reliable back-up in case those ground-based systems fail.
The publication of EGNOS procedures is mandated by Reg 2018/1048 in all Instrument Runway Ends for airports with adequate EGNOS SoL service. The deadline of the Regulation is January 2024.
In addition to increased safety and lower operations costs, the EGNOS SoL Service helps decrease the environmental impact of air traffic by leading to lower aircraft fuel consumption. It also assists in reducing noise levels for people living near airports.