Feasibility Study of GBAS/INS and RRAIM for Airport Surface Movement Under Low-Visibility Conditions

Currently, surface movement, encompassing all operations on the airport surface prior to take-off and after landing, cannot be achieved under low-visibility conditions by an aircraft-guidance-only solution. In addition to surface movement radar and Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast, pilots also rely on signage, lighting and reports/commands from the airport traffic control tower, which are partly based on visual inspection of the airport, to aid in guidance from the runway to the gate. Therefore, low-visibility conditions caused by meteorological effects can significantly affect the continuity of operations on the airport surface. Global navigation satellite systems are considered to overcome these difficulties by enhancing guidance and situational awareness on the airport surface. This paper explores the feasibility of utilizing a ground-based augmentation system, which is potentially available at the airport, an inertial navigation system, and relative receiver autonomous integrity monitoring to support surface movement operations in low-visibility conditions. The paper provides results assessing the compliance of the proposed solution to accuracy and integrity requirements.