Garmin Autoland reaches more than 2,500 aircraft, 15 models

Garmin says its Autoland system is now in service on more than 2,500 aircraft. The company disclosed the figure on October 14, 2026, just over six years after the technology was first certified in May 2020.

Autoland takes over the controls in an emergency, such as when a pilot becomes incapacitated. A passenger engages it with a single dedicated button, and the system guides the aircraft to land on its own.

Garmin says the system has been approved on more than 15 aircraft models. Certifications granted this year cover the HondaJet Elite II, Embraer Phenom 300EV, Pilatus PC-12 PRO and Epic E1000 AX. The HondaJet Elite II and Phenom 300EV were the first twin-engine jets to receive Autoland approval.

Nearly 250 of the total fleet are retrofits, including aircraft originally delivered without the feature and a full retrofit programme for King Air aircraft, a type that first entered production more than 50 years ago. Garmin said the retrofit option has extended the technology to older airframes.

Autoland also engages if it detects no pilot input over a period, providing a safety net for solo pilots. It selects a route to a suitable airport, accounts for terrain and weather, and carries out a stabilised approach and landing.

Garmin hopes to secure regulatory approval in 2027 for Autoland on Textron Aviation's Cessna Citation M2 Gen3, CJ3 Gen3 and CJ4 Gen3, as well as the Beechcraft Denali. The system is already available across several Garmin integrated flight decks, including the G1000 NXi, G3000 and G3000 PRIME. Other certified aircraft include the Piper M600 SLS and M700 FURY, and the Cirrus Vision Jet G2, G2+ and G3, along with the SR20 G7+, SR22 G7+ and SR22T G7+.