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ATM Insight News |
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CEATS replacement takes shape
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The transport ministers of seven states participating in the Central European Air Traffic Services (CEATS) initiative conceived in the 1990s signed a Declaration of Intent in June to develop a Functional Airspace Block Central Europe (FAB CE) to improve the efficiency of air traffic services over the region. The participating states are Austria, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Italy holds observer status. FAB CE responds to the European Commission requirement for airspace to be organized according to traffic flows rather than national boundaries under the Single European Sky.
A team of legal experts has been formed with the task of preparing the legal process of closing down the CEATS programme. CEATS has in some cases been ratified by Parliament, so a structured legal approach is needed, and it will officially remain in place for another year or more.
The CEATS Coordination Group launched the FAB CE feasibility study in April 2007 as a reaction to changes in the European ATM and in particular the CEATS related environment. FAB CE proposes the full use of existing and planning ATC infrastructure under a distributed model, with responsibilities for service provision entrusted to the national ANSPs. The concept has been welcomed by participating states and includes participation by Eurocontrol as the facilitator and project manager of the study through CEATS Management Office, CEATS Strategy Planning and Development Unit (CSPDU) and CEATS Research, Development and Simulation. States however, are fully responsible for the FAB’s institutional, legal, and regulatory framework. |
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Selex wins Doha award
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Selex Sistemi Integrati has won a contract worth USD105 million to design and supply the ATC system for the New Doha International Airport (NDIA). Equipment supply includes terminal area and surface movement radar, control centre with 36 operator working positions, automated departure and arrival sequencing tools, meteorological system, navaids and surface movement guidance system. Airport communications data transfer will be realised through the installation of an optical fibre ring surrounding the whole airport area. Project completion is due in 2010, and the new airport is scheduled to open by 2015 with capacity to handle 50 million passengers a year.
Selex also reports a contract worth EUR11 million from the Romanian Air Traffic Services Administration (Romatsa) to upgrade equipment first supplied by Selex in the control centres of Bucharest, Arad, and Constantia, and 14 control towers across the country. The equipment will be delivered in three tranches between January 2009 and May 2011. |
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US military upgrades UFA tower simulators
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The National Guard Bureau (NGB) has purchased additional tower simulation equipment from UFA. Equipment includes eight ATTower desktop tower training systems (DTTS) which are transportable, and upgrades for 11 ATCoach advanced precision approach radar training systems at US Army NG sites around the country. The NG currently has six ATTower DTTS, and 15 ATCoach training system, and the US Air Force operates 11 ATCoach training systems. The UFA is supplying its latest generation ATView 3D visualization to provide realistic views of ARNG airfields. |
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Luxembourg opts for RAPS-3 solution
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Comsoft reports commissioning of its RAPS-3 toolset supplied to Luxembourg to analyse and record the country’s surveillance data. The product allows multi-channel recording and playback of a wide range of radar formats and protocols. In addition to radars it also supports ADS-B and multilateration sensors. Luxembourg also uses Comsoft’s voice and data recorder |
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Comsoft teams with Synclude
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Comsoft has signed a teaming agreement with Belgian electronic specialist Synclude covering joint aeronautical information activities. The companies intend to further develop their respective products to serve the market for high quality flight data. In particular this means full integration of dynamic and static data as well as transition from paper based AIS products to electronic Aeronautical Information Management (AIM). Customers benefit from joint implementation of new technologies and concepts like AIXM-5, digital NOTAM (xNOTAM), Integrated Briefing, and the Aeronautical Application Bus Architecture.
Meanwhile Peru’s service provider Corporación Peruana de Aeropuertos y Aviación Comercial (CORPAC) has concluded factory acceptance tests of the AMHS system manufactured by Comsoft. The equipment includes Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) equipment that will provide access to local and international NOTAM and OPMET data. The central communication nodes and databases are due to be installed in Lima, serving international links and eighty remote aeronautical data access terminals throughout the country. |
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Frequentis installs smartStrips for NATS UK
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Frequentis reports installation of its electronic flight data solution in NATS centres in Scotland and Swanwick to replace paper strips in early August. The smartStrips product resembles the pattern for conventional paper strips, but make use of computer-based operations. The Electronic Flight Data Display (EFD) project is the largest electronic flight strip system installed, and is the result of close cooperation between Frequentis and NATS. A new fallback solution is to be jointly patented by the companies. Frequentis is already working with NATS on its User Interface Design and Development Programme for Future Air Traffic Tools, using concepts developed by the Frequentis User Interface Centre. |
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So how much carbon dioxide can improved ATM really save?
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Better ATM could deliver 10% cut in carbon dioxide emissions for each flight and a reduction in unnecessary journey distances in Europe by 220m km by 2013, according to an August 2008 Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) study. The SBAC says in European airspace aircraft fly on average 50 kilometres more per flight than necessary. “The intention now is to reduce the total distance flown over the European route network by 220 million kilometres by 2013,” said the SBAC. “This would result in a reduction in CO2 emissions of 570,000 tonnes annually.”
Dr Mark Watson, SBAC's Senior Advisor for Corporate Environmental Affairs, said: "Better air traffic management could deliver a short-term cut of more than half a million tons of CO2 per year.” |
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This 10% reduction is the SESAR headline target. But it will be difficult to reach.
…… continued in the ATM-insight newsletter revealing opinions from the Director General of EUROCONTROL, IATA CEO, ATCA president, CANSO & more plus a detailed review of obstacles to progress, removing the boundaries, measuring the benefits of CNS/ATM & how technology such as digital, satellite-based technologies currently used by NGATS & SESAR research programmes can bring greener results. |
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