Thales Provides New Landing System for Hong Kong Airport

The Government of Hong Kong is turning to Thales to streamline aircraft operations at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). Thales secured the contract at the end of an open tender process with the Civil Aviation Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

According to that contract, Thales will be delivering a new Instrument Landing System (ILS), which will give pilots a more accurate sense of their position relative to the runway and make it easier for planes to land safely. The ILS comes with a 32-element localizer antenna that sends guidance signals to the planes, as well as an ultra-wide aperture localizer array that can gauge a plane’s position at all times of day, and in adverse weather conditions with poor visibility.

Thales will ultimately install six sets of ILS technology to support HKIA’s new Three-runway System (3RS) expansion. The solution will increase the airport’s capacity, since planes will be able to take off and land more efficiently.

The project is being carried out in collaboration with Dah Chong Hong – Dragonair Airport GSE Service (DAS). DAS will oversee the installation and provide ongoing logistical support, while also acting as a go-between for Thales and its local stakeholders.

“This selection strengthens our position as a proven airspace solutions provider in Asia and makes HKIA a world reference in terms of navigation aids equipped airport,” said Thales Navigation and Non-radar Surveillance Director Kais Mnif. “The project will ensure smooth and reliable operations at the HKIA during aircraft landing.” 

The project builds on HKIA’s existing relationship with Thales, which has supplied the airport with modern technology solutions for the past 20 years. The company has already provided similar ILS technology for airports in Turkey and France. It has also delivered biometric passenger screening kiosks for airports in France and Spain. Both the ILS and biometric technology will help boost airport capacity, with one helping airports process more people while the other speeds things up once they are on the plane.

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August 9, 2021 – by Eric Weiss