Lufthansa develops new Nav. tech. - Avionics

Monday, December 5, 2016

Lufthansa Systems to Develop New Navigation Map Technology

Woodrow Bellamy III 

[Avionics Magazine 12-5-2016] Lufthansa Systems is currently developing dynamic navigation maps for its Lido/Navigation product line. The company expects to complete a fully dynamic map solution by 2019. 

Lufthansa Systems’ Lido/mPilot app. Photo: Lufthansa Systems.

With this development, the aviation IT specialist is responding to increasing digitalization and connectivity on the flight deck. The company released its paper-based Lido/RouteManual charts in 2002, and in 2005 Lufthansa Systems began offering digital charts, initially for integrated flight deck systems, and now in the form of apps for Windows (Lido/eRouteManual) and iOS (Lido/mPilot). 

Unlike the route maps, the digital airport charts are largely static, and there is a separation between the terminal charts and the enroute module. In practice, this means that pilots use the terminal charts during takeoff and landing and then have to manually switch to the enroute module for the flight. The Lido/AMM Airport Moving Map, which is used to navigate between the runway and the gate, is already fully dynamic in itself, but it is still separate from the other charts. This dynamic approach is now gradually being expanded.

“Dynamic navigation maps are the basis for smart additional functions that will be available in the future thanks to connectivity. Through its connectivity with the aircraft, the system will be able to display the precise information that is important in a specific flight situation, thus increasing the pilots’ situational awareness,” said Stefan Auerbach, CEO of Lufthansa Systems.