Replacement of DVOR on Praslin-New navigational gear to boost air safety |28 November 2012

The DVOR (Doppler VHF Omni-Directional Range) currently located at Grand-Fond on Praslin, will within the next few months be removed and replaced by a new one.

According to the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), such an event is historical in the history of aviation as it happens once every 15 years.

There are currently two DVORs in Seychelles belonging to the SCAA. One is on South East Island near the Seychelles International Airport, and the second one is located on the island of Praslin.

A DVOR provides air traffic controllers with a continuous long-term provision of safe and reliable means for aircraft separation.

The Praslin DVOR mainly provides navigational aids to all aircraft in Seychelles airspace, those approaching to land at the Seychelles International and Praslin airports, and to domestic traffic.

While the switch is taking place, and following discussions with local operators, alternative procedures have been put in place based on Global Navigation by Satellite System (GNSS) which will be used by aircraft.

The DVOR on Praslin was installed in 1996 is now obsolete and is no longer supported by the manufacturer. It will be therefore demolished and a new counterpoise base will be built, along with refurbishment of the cabin.

The project, which is costing the SCAA R8.3 million, will be fully completed by the end of January 2013 after flight calibration.