Contingency Planning

FAA Expands Satellite Navigation Service Into Canada and Mexico

October 23, 2007

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is increasing capacity at thousands of general aviation airports throughout North America by expanding coverage of a satellite-based navigation system to Canada and Mexico.

The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) improves the accuracy and integrity of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite signals and provides highly precise approaches that can be used in all weather conditions. The expansion integrated nine new international Wide-Area Reference Stations into the network. In Canada, they are located in Goose Bay, Gander, Winnipeg, and Iqaluit. In Mexico, they are in Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, Merida, Tapachula, and San Jose del Cabo.

For WAAS users, this expansion of service provides more locations where vertically guided approach procedures based on WAAS can be developed and used. The FAA already has published more than 900 Localizer Performance with Vertical (LPV) approaches throughout the United States and use of WAAS has steadily increased. More than 18,000 aircraft currently are equipped to fly LPV approach procedures.

Canadian and Mexican aviation authorities have supported this work at the highest levels under the auspices of the North American Aviation Trilateral Agreement.

— FAA