Garmin expands avionics database for South Pacific region

Today, Garmin announced expanded coverage of the Garmin Navigation Database to include the South Pacific region, including Australia, New Zealand, and the surrounding countries. Previously available to aircraft owners and operators in the Americas and Europe, the Garmin Navigation Database delivers a new option for South Pacific region customers to incorporate this aviation navigation information into their Garmin avionics. Offered for a variety of Garmin aviation products, including integrated flight decks, navigators, flight displays, portables, and more, the new Garmin Navigation Database for the South Pacific region introduces various ways to purchase database updates. This includes single updates, annual bundle options, and OnePak subscriptions for all compatible avionics in an aircraft.

The Garmin Navigation Database for the South Pacific region provides foundational information needed for navigation throughout the departure, en route, arrival, and approach phases of flight. Coverage is available in over 20 countries and over 2500 airports, including en route and airspace data, instrument procedures, frequencies, airport information, etc.

The Garmin Navigation Database has also been customized for region-specific needs, including verified aircraft landing areas (ALAs) in Australia and visual reporting points (VRPs) in New Zealand to aid VFR navigation. The Garmin Pilot mobile application also includes unverified ALAs and identifies those within the application.

Bundles and OnePak annual subscriptions

In addition to navigation data, pilots rely upon other databases on their Garmin avionics. To help pilots keep these avionics databases updated, the Garmin Navigation Database is offered together with other databases in annual subscriptions. Device bundles provide an option for pilots to update compatible databases on a single Garmin navigator, flight display, or portable. Single device bundles and OnePak annual subscriptions offer an option to update navigation data and other databases, such as terrain, obstacles, airport directory, SafeTaxi, FliteCharts, including recently released New Zealand FliteCharts, and more.

Pilots flying aircraft equipped with a Garmin integrated flight deck or multiple Garmin avionics systems can use a new South Pacific OnePak subscription, which offers savings by supporting all compatible Garmin avionics in a single aircraft. For one annual price, OnePak subscriptions combine the Garmin Navigation Database with other essential databases for all compatible avionics in an aircraft, along with an eligible Garmin portable device.

Standalone navigation database updates The Garmin Navigation Database is also available to customers wishing to update their navigation database only. Customers can choose a single month update or an annual subscription for their Garmin avionics systems.


Database updates for Garmin avionics or portables can be purchased via flyGarmin.com. Once purchased, device updates are performed with the Garmin Aviation Database Manager. The database manager application on your computer manages all database updates. It can also automatically download the latest update from the subscription so that databases are ready and installed without waiting for a download.

The app keeps track of current and future updates with a calendar view, indicating when a new cycle will be available and a reminder of what cycle is currently installed. Most updates can be directly transferred to the device or data card. GNS series navigators require a Garmin USB aviation data card programmer to facilitate the transfer. Once the new databases are loaded, insert the card into the navigator and fly with current data.

Garmin's Database Concierge and PlaneSync-connected aircraft management systems can simplify database updates. Database Concierge allows pilots to download updates to their Garmin Pilot app and wirelessly transfer them to their compatible avionics via compatible mobile devices. Alternatively, the PlaneSync-connected aircraft management system provides automatic database updates to compatible avionics over 4G LTE or Wi-Fi via Garmin's GDL 60 datalink.

(article source: Garmin / editor: Anton van Rijsbergen)