Garmin’s Autoland emergency landing system is now installed on more than 2,500 aircraft, expanding from its initial certification on the Piper M600 SLS to more than 15 certified models. The milestone includes the first approvals for twin-engine jets—the HondaJet Elite II and Embraer Phenom 300EV—bringing autonomous emergency landing capability into business aviation and extending access through retrofit installations.
Designed for emergencies such as pilot incapacitation, Autoland can be activated by a passenger or engage automatically when it detects no pilot interaction. It selects a suitable airport, plans a route around terrain and adverse weather, communicates with air traffic control, conducts a stabilized approach and lands without human intervention.
Four aircraft received Autoland certification during 2026: the HondaJet Elite II, Phenom 300EV, Pilatus PC-12 PRO and Epic E1000 AX. Nearly 250 of the equipped aircraft received the system after delivery, including eligible aircraft with compatible Garmin avionics and King Air aircraft upgraded through retrofit installations.
Garmin expects further certifications in 2027 for Textron Aviation’s Cessna Citation M2 Gen3, Citation CJ3 Gen3, Citation CJ4 Gen3 and Beechcraft Denali. The system’s first recorded real-world activation occurred in December 2025, when it landed an unoccupied King Air B200 near Denver after rapid cabin depressurisation during a flight near Aspen, Colorado.