Garmin’s Autoland emergency landing system is now installed in more than 2,500 aircraft, the company announced Wednesday.
The system received its initial certification in May 2020 on the Piper M600 SLS. It is now available on more than 15 aircraft models, including single-engine turboprops, piston aircraft and business jets.
Garmin Autoland received certification on four additional models in 2026: the HondaJet Elite II, Embraer Phenom 300EV, Pilatus PC-12 PRO and Epic E1000 AX. The HondaJet and Phenom certifications marked the system’s first availability on twin-engine jets.
The company expects Autoland certification in 2027 for Textron Aviation’s Cessna Citation M2 Gen3, Citation CJ3 Gen3, Citation CJ4 Gen3 and Beechcraft Denali.
Designed for emergencies such as pilot incapacitation, Autoland can be activated by a passenger pressing a dedicated button or automatically if the system detects a lack of pilot interaction. Once activated, it selects a suitable airport, calculates a route that accounts for terrain and adverse weather, and performs an approach and landing without human intervention.
The system also communicates with air traffic control during the emergency.
Autoland is available through several Garmin integrated flight decks, including the G1000 NXi, G3000 and G3000 PRIME. Garmin said nearly 250 of the more than 2,500 equipped aircraft received the system as a retrofit after delivery. That includes a retrofit option for eligible Beechcraft King Air aircraft, a design that has been in production for more than 50 years.
“Surpassing 2,500 Autoland-equipped aircraft reflects the incredible adoption of a technology designed to provide pilots and passengers with added confidence when it matters most,” said Phil Straub, Garmin’s executive vice president and managing director of aviation.
Autoland has received the Robert J. Collier Trophy and other industry awards. Garmin said it continues to work with aircraft manufacturers and operators to expand the system’s availability.
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