Garmin Autoland now equipped on more than 2,500 aircraft

Garmin announced Wednesday that its Autoland emergency landing system is now equipped on more than 2,500 aircraft, a milestone reached just over six years after the technology was initially certified in May 2020.

Autoland is the world's first certified autonomous system designed to activate during an emergency to control and land an aircraft without human intervention. Phil Straub, executive vice president and managing director for aviation at Garmin, said the achievement "reflects the incredible adoption of a technology designed to provide pilots and passengers with added confidence when it matters most."

Certification and aircraft models

Autoland is now available on 15 aircraft models, ranging from piston-powered aircraft to twin-engine jets. These include the Piper M600 SLS and M700 Fury; Cirrus Vision Jet G2, G2+, and G3 and Cirrus SR20 G7+, SR22 G7+, and SR22T G7+; Daher TBM 940, TBM 960, and TBM 980; Beechcraft King Air 200, B200, 300, and 350; HondaJet Elite II; and Embraer Phenom 300EV.

The HondaJet Elite II and Embraer Phenom 300EV certifications marked the first availability of Garmin Autoland on twin-engine jet aircraft. In September, the system was certified for the Pilatus PC-12 PRO and Epic E1000 AX.

Garmin expects more certifications in 2027 for Textron Aviation's Beechcraft Denali and Cessna Citation M2 Gen3, CJ3 Gen3, and CJ4 Gen3, which will be the first Citation models to feature the technology. The company also made all-Garmin avionics upgrades available to original CitationJet owners via retrofit last month.

Retrofit and real-world performance

Of the 2,500-plus aircraft equipped with Autoland, more than 250 were retrofitted after delivery, including King Air aircraft. Autoland is available through the G1000 NXi, G3000, and G3000 Prime flight decks.

The emergency system has recorded only one real-world activation. Flying Magazine reported that it passed that test with flying colours.

How it works

Autoland is designed to handle situations involving sudden pilot incapacitation, such as due to a medical emergency or loss of pressurization. The system can be activated by anyone in the aircraft, including passengers, with a simple button push. Garmin Autoland will also activate if it detects no pilot interaction, providing a safety net for those flying solo. The system can be overridden and shut down by the pilot at any time.

The technology calculates a flight path to the most suitable airport while avoiding terrain and adverse weather, initiates a stabilised approach to the runway, and lands the aircraft.