Weekly Review #234 - Airspace World, here we go again!

Written by Vincent Lambercy | March 20 2024

Airspace World, here we go again!

At the time of writing this, I'm still at the airport in Frankfurt, waiting for my Monday evening flight to Geneva. But you will read this on Wednesday, or later. The timing is a bit off this week because of Airspace World. The annual CANSO convention remains the place to be for ATM and UTM. FoxATM will visit for sure. If you read this before the show ends and want to meet, just reply to this email.

As with every year, my agenda is quite full (below). But as explained in this video, there are always some options to make room for one more meeting or a drink, right?

On a more serious note, Airspace World is a new show, in its second edition only. But it is definitely the place to be. All actors of the air navigation service market, from ANSPs and industry partners to academia and international organisations, are present. It is a great place to meet old friends, make new ones, and a must-attend for ATM people.

We will report about the show in detail at www.foxatm.com and in our next weekly bulletin, but by the time you have read this, the whole team will be walking the floor.

If you see us around and want to talk, don't hesitate to say hello!

Vincent

ANSP news

Advancing Air Traffic Control: Unveiling the Versatility of HungaroControl’s NEXT-GEN Digital Tower - In the dynamic realm of aviation, staying ahead of the curve is paramount. Enter the NEXT-GEN Digital Tower, a transformative technology revolutionizing air traffic control operation at Budapest Airport. It is modular, and increasing HungaroControl’s capabilities as airport ATC service provider. With its array of benefits and its innovative features, our digital tower is poised to redefine the way airport traffic is managed. Let’s explore the key benefits and capabilities of HungaroControl’s cutting-edge solution.
European funding instrument supports modernisation of air navigation services infrastructure in Germany - Two large-scale projects of DFS to modernise the navigation infrastructure in German airspace have received major funding from the European Union. The first project will see DFS greatly expand its ADS-B technology for determining aircraft position data. The second project involves the company introducing performance-based navigation, which is increasingly based on satellite navigation, at around sixty German airports and aerodromes. The two projects will be supported until the end of 2027 with funding totalling €9.6 million.
FAA Rolls Out New Technology for Controllers to Improve Surface Safety at the Nation’s Airports - The FAA announced today it is launching a new surface safety tool, called Approach Runway Verification (ARV), at air traffic control towers across the nation to improve safety at airports. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is the latest tower to start using the safety technology this week.
Extension of Free Route Airspace in France - CANSO - On 21 February, two additional Free Route cells were introduced within the airspaces managed by the Reims and Marseille Area Control Centres of DSNA, thereby expanding the Free Route Airspace coverage above FL 195 in France to 70%.

Market news

Enhanced Surface Movement Radars in Hamad and Doha International Airport - Terma announced the successful deployment of five SCANTER 5602 Enhanced Surface Movement Radars (eSMR) at Doha airports. Comprising of four units at Hamad International Airport and one at Doha International Airport, this milestone collaboration with the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority reinforces Terma's commitment to advancing aviation safety and efficiency.
FREQUENTIS to deploy aviation message handling solution across India in one of the world’s largest ever setups - Frequentis to revolutionise aeronautical message handling system for Airports Authority of India. The AMHS replacement at two main centres in Mumbai and New Delhi stands out for its unmatched performance and resilience. Over 60 sites and 200 user terminals make it one of the largest AMHS deployment for one single customer worldwide.
UFA, Inc. launches cutting-edge VR air traffic control system at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey - In a groundbreaking move towards modernisation and enhanced training effectiveness, the U.S. Air Force, in partnership with UFA has taken the leap forward to procure its inaugural virtual reality air traffic control simulation system at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, using UFA’s ATVR. This pioneering endeavour marks a significant leap forward in leveraging innovative technology to enhance operational readiness, modernise the force, and ensure the highest standards of safety and efficiency in ATC.
DataBeacon and uAvionix Collaborate to Deliver Low-latency, Cloud Situational Awareness with Romeo5 Flight Information Display Solution - DataBeacon and uAvionix, announced today, the planned availability of uAvionix’s validated FlightLine ADS-B data from cooperative aircraft as a sensor feed for DataBeacon’s Romeo5 airport and ANSP Flight Information Display solution. The data provides enhanced situational awareness to air traffic service providers by visualizing the traffic in the airspace they manage mimimising their infrastructure investments.
Thales modernises Air Traffic Management at Kazakhstan’s Astana and Almaty airports - After having recently performed the commissioning of the A-SMGCS in the Astana airport, Thales has now implemented two new solutions – TopSky-Tower and MAGS (Multilateration and ADS-B Ground Surveillance System) – in Astana and Almaty airports. These two projects are the first ones where a multilateration system was deployed and commissioned in Kazakhstan, allowing the airport air traffic controllers to have an additional sensor system that can be used for both ground and air traffic surveillance.
Copperchase Secures Contract for the Project Management and Supply of State-of-the-Art ATC Systems at Gloucestershire Airport - Copperchase announced that it has been awarded a significant contract to supply a comprehensive suite of air traffic control systems to enhance operational efficiency and safety at Gloucestershire Airport in the UK.

Context information

Foundation’s Annual Report Highlights Threat to Aviation Safety from Eroding Safety Culture - The international commercial airline industry did not suffer any fatal jet airliner accidents in 2023, according to Flight Safety Foundation’s 2023 Safety Report, issued today, but a series of close calls last year and two accidents so far in 2024 are clear signals that the industry must guard against complacency and the potential for an erosion of safety culture to weaken its safety margin.
Regulator publishes progress report on Independent Review into August 2023 NATS Flight Planning System Failure - An interim report, prepared by an Independent Review Panel into the air traffic control failure on 28 August 2023, has been published by the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

Reports and data

Passengers at Oman Airports increase 21.6% by end of January 2024 - Of the flights, 9,090 were international flights carrying 1,200,822 passengers, while 666 domestic flights carried 89,730 passengers.
Passenger figures for February: Strong growth internationally but flat development domestically- Avinor - Avinor had 51,554 commercial flight movements in February. That is 3 percent more than in February 2023. In February, 1,267 drone flights were reported in Ninox Drone, Avinor's drone management system.
Airservices Australia releases February Australian Aviation Network Overview - Airservices Australia has released its Australian Aviation Network Overview report for February 2024. Highlights include: The Australian aviation network recorded a 2 per cent increase in flights compared to January. Despite weather disruptions throughout the summer period, overall industry on-time performance improved from December 2023, with service reliability and resilience being a shared priority across our sector. OTP and Ground Delay Program compliance nevertheless remain below historical benchmarks.
ENAIRE managed nearly 150,000 flights in February, 11.5% more than in 2023, a record year - ENAIRE managed almost 150,000 (149,548) flights in February, 11.5% more than in the same month in 2023, a record year for flights, with close to 2.2 million.

Research and innovation

Blues skies ahead: Sustainable innovation powered by SESAR - A new Projects Info Pack from CORDIS explores the role air traffic management has to play in Europe’s transition to carbon neutrality, through new technologies, procedures and practices.
EUR 26 Million Investment: SESAR JU unveils new projects for smarter air traffic management - The SESAR Joint Undertaking has selected 18 new exploratory research projects within the framework of its ambitious Digital European Sky research and innovation programme. The projects address a wide range of topics aimed at generating innovative concepts, methodologies and technologies, all with a view to making air traffic management in Europe smarter and more sustainable. The projects represent a total investment of EUR 26 million by the aviation industry and the European Union through Horizon Europe.

UAV and UTM

Thai-French collaboration to develop a UTM system around Bangkok’s airport - Unmanned airspace - The Thai government, partly funded by a FASEP grant from the French government, is defining a new policy for the commercial use of UAVs, while maintaining a high level of safety in low-altitude airspace. A kick-off meeting relating to the Collaborative development of Automated UTM system took place at the end of February 2024.

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