Oliver Sutton

THe airline industry is looking at Europe's satellite navigation system, dubbed Galileo, with a good deal of caution. This is understandable in view of the industry's day-to-day preoccupation with rising fuel prices, falling fares, escalating user fees, increasing environmental regulation, excess capacity and security issues. Additionally, Galileo will not become operational before 2008, a very long timescale in today's airline business. Yet if it lives up to its promise, it finally could provide the capability to complete the long-anticipated transition from ground-based navaids.