Eindhoven airport and airbase will benefit from upgrading of runway to ILS category III

Important step taken in decision-making regarding ILS at Eindhoven Airport

The need of Eindhoven Airport and its users to install a higher category Instrument Landing System (ILS) will be included in the tender for the upcoming renovation of the runway at Eindhoven Air Base The Ministry of Defence and Eindhoven Airport have reached an agreement in principle on this.

Eindhoven Airport uses the runway at Eindhoven Military Airport. The new ILS, category III, makes it possible for aircraft to land and take off from Eindhoven Airport in dense fog. Because of the new ILS, air traffic will experience significantly less disturbance due to fog.

The Ministry of Defence will include the higher category ILS in the tender for major maintenance of the runway planned for 2025. The reason for this is that the runway must be broken open just as in the case of major maintenance. In the case of a category III ILS, extra lighting is installed on the runway, which means that air traffic cannot use it. By combining the installation of the new ILS with major maintenance, the runway only needs to be broken up once. A final decision on the higher category of ILS will be taken on the basis of the tenders received in due course, following the invitation to tender.

The ILS is a radio navigation system that pilots use for landing. Using the ILS, a precision approach to the runway can be performed. With a Category III, there is also lighting on the runway. The ILS has three categories (with category IIIB being the most comprehensive). At airports with this ILS category, landings can be made without having a view of the runway. Eindhoven Airport currently has an ILS category I. At Eindhoven Airport, pilots need at least 550 metres of visibility of the runway in order to be allowed to land.