The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) will install a new navigational system at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport (Davao International Airport) to help pilots land successfully on the runway under adverse conditions such as bad weather and low visibility.
CAAP has awarded air traffic management system provider Indra Australia Pty. Ltd. and its joint venture partner Philcox (Phils), Inc. the contract to replace the old system at the Davao airport with a new Doppler VHF Omnidirectional Range (DVOR) and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME).
The DVOR/DME is a short-range radio navigation system that enables an aircraft to determine its position and stay on course as it heads for the runway through radio signals transmitted by a network of fixed ground radio beacons, with the receiver unit using radio frequencies in the very high frequency (VHF) band.
This navigation system is a critical tool used in the air traffic industry to assist pilots in locating and landing on the runway at night and in times of inclement weather and poor visibility.
Aside from commissioning the supply and installation of the equipment and the flight check of the new DVOR/DME system, the project also calls for installing new underground power, as well as other grounding, electrical and mechanical requirements, and rehabilitating the existing Doppler counterpoise and shelter system.
This is the third major project CAAP has awarded through competitive bidding, in line with the modernization of navigational systems in the Philippines. The first was for the navigational aid equipment at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, with the new DVOR/DME system already operational since November 2014.
The second project, a DVOR/DME system upgrade, was commissioned for the Mactan-Cebu International Airport early this year and is scheduled to be completed before the end of 2015.
