IndiGo created aviation history on June 27 when one of its Airbus A320 aircraft landed at Maharana Pratap Airport using India’s indigenous GAGAN satellite-based navigation system instead of the conventional ground-based radio landing aid. This marked the first time a full-sized commercial passenger jet in India completed a landing using the technology.

The achievement highlighted a major step forward for Indian civil aviation. The GAGAN system guided the commercial passenger aircraft during its approach and touchdown, showing that India’s satellite-based navigation infrastructure can support large passenger jets during landing operations.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said that similar satellite-based approaches had previously taken place on smaller turboprop aircraft. However, this was the first landing involving a commercial narrow-body passenger jet using the system.

During the operation, the aircraft carried out a Localiser Performance with Vertical Guidance (LPV) approach. This type of approach provides pilots with both horizontal and vertical guidance during landing. Until now, GAGAN-supported LPV operations in India had remained limited to turboprop aircraft.

GAGAN stands for GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation. It is a satellite-based augmentation system that improves the accuracy of GPS signals. The system does not function as a separate navigation network. Instead, it enhances existing GPS signals by correcting errors through a combination of ground stations and satellites.

The system operates through 15 ground stations spread across India. These stations continuously monitor GPS signals and compare them with highly accurate reference points. They then send correction data to aircraft in real time through the geostationary satellites GSAT-8 and GSAT-10.

Officials said this improves navigation accuracy during aircraft approaches, especially in low-visibility conditions. It also reduces reliance on ground-based Instrument Landing System (ILS) equipment, which can be expensive to install at airports.

“Gagan is designed to make flight operations safer and more efficient and to improve air traffic movement across Indian airspace.”

ISRO added that the system works with global navigation networks, supporting smoother international flight operations and better integration with worldwide aviation systems.

The successful landing of the IndiGo A320 at Udaipur demonstrated that India’s indigenous satellite-based navigation technology can now support commercial jet operations at a much larger scale. Aviation authorities see this as an important milestone in the country’s efforts to modernise air navigation and reduce dependence on traditional ground-based landing infrastructure.