the airínea LATAM Ecuador realizedó verification flightón previo a su inicio de operaciones hacia el Catamayo Airport in the province of Store. It also countsén already with the authorizationón to start operations.
With an estimated start date within the first quarter of the 2020, LATAM Ecuador realizedó su primer vuelo hacia Loja como vuelo de verificación hacia este airport complex.
Importante indicar también que con fecha 11 February 2019, LATAM Ecuador recibió la authorizationón by the aero authorityáutica del Ecuador para incrementar a su permiso de operación la ruta siguiente:
- Quito – Store – Quito, until 7 weekly frequencies.
with this permission, the airínea cuenta con la facultad para iniciar sus operaciones, fecha que será anunciada próximly.
Este vuelo se centra dentro del proceso de otorgamiento de frecuencias que la aerolínea realiza para poder iniciar sus vuelos entre el Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport and the Catamayo City Airport.
Vuelo verificación hacia Catamayo
As we have previously reviewed, el Aeropuerto de Catamayo es de operación compleja y no cualquiera aeronave puede operar en esta pista de 1.860 meters located at 1.237 metros sobre el nivel del mar y rodeada de montañas con un clima variable.
With all the complexities indicated, operar en este aeropuerto require de determinados procesos adicionales para poder así do it.
In this context, the airínea LATAM Ecuador carried outó its first verification flightóto Catamayo, approximationón missed and landing at what is considered the commercial airport más difícil of our país.
This process consists of the following:
- Validation flightón involve: see the adhesion of the avión to the RNAV RNP procedure, see the “volability” of the procedure by the pilots.
- RNAV RNP procedures are approximateón and instrumental outputs.
- First time an airplane lands and takes offón in Catamayo using instrumental and non-visual procedures, when the convert process is finishedá to this airport in one of the largest operational capacities in the countryís.
- RNAV RNP procedures, They are based on the capabilities of the navigation instruments.ón of the avión, one of them is GPS in navigationósatellite n.
- There is an investmentón in technologyíto the ancestorsón so that it has this capacity and can have adequate performanceñor at the Catamayo airport
- In the validation processóThey work with the DGAC and assist in the approvalón de la operationón and instrument flight procedures
- The conditions of the Catamayo airport are complex due to the location.ón and surrounding terrain, by the winds, track length and temperature.
¿Becauseé other aerosolíneas do not fly with Airbus to Catamayo?
Before reviewing this endpoint, It is important to indicate that Tame sí has flown on Airbus A319 to Lojañthe atreás a búcertification searchón de la operationón of this aircraft in Catamayo, sin ésuccess due to operational restrictionsúcould not be known.
Now LATAM Ecuador has carried out approach proceduresón and RNP output that are tied to various operational actions that the pilot must apply along with those procedures.
It goes tooén in conjunction with the performance actions that we have in the EFB electronics flight bags performance tool. Yes, an ancestorón X sets the coordinates of the approachón into your GPS or FMC and fly it, it is not going to do the same since it does not have the ability to maintain the exact trajectory that a satellite procedure has, can generate a potential conflict with the terrain.
Finally, remember that the start of operations isá subject to approvalón of the frequencies requested by the National Aviation Councilón Civilian of Ecuador.
