Economic Analysis of Local Area Augmentation System and Alternative Architectures

摘要

The Global Positioning System (GPS) with satellite-transmitted signals forposition determination offers new opportunities and challenges for a range of applications in transportation. The study focuses on LAAS and alternative architectures. Since an economic comparison of architectures involves performing a cost-benefit analysis (CBA), and FAA has chosen for analysis three LAAS architectures, one ground-based, and a hybrid system architecture. The five architectures are: Pseudolite Kinematic LAAS; Wide-Lane Kinematic LAAS; Code-Based LAAS; Instrument Landing System (ILS); and LAAS and Glide Slope (G/S) System. The approach used in the study has been to: (1) perform the runway qualification tests based on the FAA establishment criteria to determine CAT II or CAT III eligibility for new runways, (2) assess costs and benefits for a 15-year life cycle in 1995 dollars of landing systems and avionics based on architecture makeup, and (3) compute the benefit/cost (B/C) ratios.