ASECNA study on satellite navigation services takes a major step forward

The definition study for the satellite-based augmentation system “SBAS for Africa and Indian Ocean” took a major step forward, with validation of the system’s architecture and geographic coverage. This marked a major milestone in the development of this system designed by Thales Alenia Space within the scope of the preliminary design study (phase B) contract signed in February 2019 with the Agency for Air Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA).

The ASECNA programme “SBAS for Africa and Indian Ocean” is based on the European EGNOS programme. In line with the ASECNA’s strategic plan, this program aims to enhance navigation and surveillance operations for all phases of flight, thus providing a significant and sustainable improvement in flight safety and efficiency over the African continent.

Planned from 2022, these services will be used to augment the positioning accuracy provided by current satellite navigation constellations, including GPS and Galileo. "The new system will improve accuracy to within a meter, while also boosting the integrity, availability and continuity of safety-related applications".