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The inauguration of Ireland's EGNOS facility will take place today at Cork Airport. EGNOS, European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, is Europe's first venture into satellite navigation and is based on the correction of GPS signals. It will allow transportation users, in Europe and beyond, to determine their position to less than two metres. This will be particularly suitable for safety critical applications, such as flying aircraft or navigating ships through narrow channels. This is achieved through a network of space elements and ground stations, consisting of Ranging and Integrity Monitoring Stations (RIMS) and Master Control Centres (MCCs).

The Irish RIM Station is located at Cork Airport, within the facilities of the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA). This monitoring station offers EGNOS coverage, not only for Ireland but also into the Atlantic region, one of the most populated airspaces in the world. This is fully in line with the primary objective of EGNOS: to provide, for civil aviation, a highly accurate signal improving safety, with the potential for worldwide coverage. However EGNOS is not solely for aviation; all other potential users of satellite navigation will benefit from it, from car drivers to fishermen.

EGNOS was launched by the tripartite group: the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Commission and Eurocontrol, the European organisation for safety in air navigation.

With EGNOS, Europe is showing its know-how in satellite navigation and creating a community of users in Europe and beyond, for the benefit of everyone, everywhere. This is the first step before Galileo, the civil initiative for global navigation satellite services.