Approach Navigation Systems Inc. (ANS) supplies, installs and maintains navigation, weather and communications equipment. Based in New Brunswick, the company combines equipment supply with the engineering work required to bring an airport installation into operation.
Its business developed around airport navigation-system maintenance before expanding into airfield lighting for mining projects. According to its company history, a 1992 contract with Royal Oak gold mines added lighting design, installation and maintenance to its activities. Automated Weather Observation Systems (AWOS) followed in 1999, with Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) added later.
This progression helps explain ANS’s position in Canada’s aviation supply chain. An airport needs the equipment, but it also needs that equipment selected, installed and maintained as a working system. ANS operates across that interface.
What Does Approach Navigation Systems Do?
ANS’s engineering services cover runway layout, engineering drawings, construction planning, equipment supply, installation and commissioning. The company also provides support for navigation aids and airport weather installations.
The scope is especially relevant to projects that need to coordinate several disciplines. Lighting, navigation, electrical infrastructure and weather observation each serve a different function, but their installation has to fit the same airfield, construction schedule and operating environment.
For the airport owner, the integration task is therefore a substantial part of the requirement. Selecting individual components is only one stage; the larger challenge is bringing them together within a design that can be built and supported.
Airfield Lighting and Approach Systems
The airfield-lighting portfolio spans approach lighting, runways, taxiways, aprons and heliports. It also includes lighting controls, accessories and solar products.
Runway, Taxiway and Apron Lighting
These systems serve different parts of an aircraft’s movement through an airport. Runway lighting supports take-off and landing, while taxiway and apron lighting supports movement and activity on the ground.
The engineering work extends beyond the fixtures themselves. ANS lists guidance signs, windcones, beacons and apron floodlighting among its project capabilities, alongside the drawings and installation work needed to place them at the site.
Approach Lighting and Commissioning
Approach systems connect the final stage of a flight to the runway environment. ANS includes their supply and installation within its broader design-and-build offering.
Commissioning matters because an installed component is only useful once it functions correctly within the complete installation. This is where the equipment supplier’s work and the system integrator’s work meet.
Airport Navigation Aids and Weather Systems
ANS also lists instrument landing systems (ILS), non-directional beacons (NDB) and other navigation equipment. These sit alongside weather observation in the portfolio, though they address different needs.
| System group | Role within the airport |
|---|---|
| Airfield and approach lighting | Visual guidance around the runway and movement areas |
| Navigation aids | Electronic navigation and approach support |
| Airport weather systems | Observation of conditions affecting flight operations |
| Controls, signs and supporting equipment | Operation and integration of the wider installation |
The company’s expansion from AWOS into RWIS also gives it a presence beyond aviation. Road-weather monitoring applies related observation capabilities to ground transport, while the company’s wider service description includes marine work.
ANS’s Role in Canadian Aviation Infrastructure
The company’s history in private airports serving mining projects is significant. In such settings, aviation infrastructure supports the wider industrial operation: moving personnel, maintaining access and connecting a remote project to its supply chain.
ANS’s offering brings the infrastructure side of that requirement together. It can supply equipment and undertake engineering and installation work, with maintenance extending the relationship beyond the initial build. This places it among the engineering and service businesses within Canada’s aviation supplier base.
The commercial role is systems integration. The manufacturers of individual lights, navigation aids and weather instruments remain separate participants in the supply chain.
Where Is Approach Navigation Systems Located?
The current contact page lists Dieppe, New Brunswick. The company history describes its headquarters as Moncton. The current contact listing is the practical reference for enquiries.
Approach Navigation Systems: Common Questions
Does ANS Install and Maintain Airport Equipment?
Yes. Its services cover design, supply, installation, commissioning and maintenance, alongside technical consulting.
Is ANS an Airport Operator?
Its stated role is supplying and integrating infrastructure for airport and transport operators. Its portfolio centres on equipment and technical services.
Does ANS Work Only in Aviation?
Aviation is a major part of its offering, but the company also describes navigation, weather and communications work for marine and highway applications.