Weekly review #59 - July 29th

ANSP news

• ENAV First half 2020 results to be published on September 29 - First half 2020 results to be published on September 29, 2020 in order to include the effect of the temporary derogation to Single European Sky regulation.
• CMA final decision on air traffic control charges dispute between NATS and CAA - The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has acted as the independent body charged with looking into a price control dispute between the Civil Aviation (CAA) and NATS (En Route) Plc (NERL). NERL rejected the CAA’s price control decision for the 5 year period 2020-2024 and so the CAA referred the matter to the CMA for investigation. In light of the evidence received, the CMA has concluded that it is not yet possible to assess the full impact of the pandemic on the aviation industry and NERL’s business.

Market news

• French Overseas territories upgrade aviation message handling with FREQUENTIS Comsoft technology - French ANSP DSNA has selected an aeronautical message handling system (AMHS) from Frequentis Comsoft to enhance its airspace communication capability and fully support the ICAO basic and extended AMHS service profiles.
• The Port of Seattle enters final phase of airport-wide project to improve gate performance at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport - The Port of Seattle chose airside construction expert, AERO BridgeWorks, to implement a state-of-the-art Advanced Visual Docking Guidance System (A-VDGS) and apron management solution on 72 gates at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). The project specified Safedock A-VDGS from airport performance leader, ADB SAFEGATE.
• ERA provides complete ADS-B coverage in Fiji - ERA is proud to announce that it had been awarded a contract to deliver an ADS-B system covering the airspace of the Republic of Fiji. One of the priorities of Fiji has been to cover the entire air space with up-to-date technology to provide surveillance coverage over all the Fiji Islands and the traffic en-route connecting them. The installation of ADS-B system by ERA is supposed to be one of the main parts of the brand new ATM system that Fiji plans to introduce starting this year.
• Indra will reinforce air safety at eleven bases in South Korea - The Ministry of Defence of South Korea has awarded Indra the supply and implementation of air traffic surveillance and management systems to reinforce safety and control of air operations at the main Air Force bases.

Context information

• DFS endows professorship for air traffic management - DFS, the German air navigation service provider, has endowed a professorship for air traffic management at the University of Applied Sciences Worms. A contract to this effect between the University and DFS was signed in Worms.

Reports and data

• Frankfurt Airport: Weekly Traffic Figures for July 13 – July 19

UAV and UTM

• EASA publishes proposed standards for certification of light drones - Unmanned airspace - The EASA has published a proposal of airworthiness standards for the certification of the vast majority of light unmanned aircraft. These standards will greatly contribute to the safe operation of drones for a wide variety of services, such as parcel delivery in urban environments, railways and power lines inspection or delivery of essential supplies into crisis zones.
• UAM airspace monitoring company Hidden Level announces Uber Elevate tie-up - Unmanned airspace - Hidden Level, a venture-backed company specializing in low altitude airspace monitoring, announced today a collaboration with Uber Elevate.
• Lack of standards slowing down UTM implementation – Altitude Angel seminar - Unmanned airspace - A lack of industry standards in areas such as service quality, reliability and drone identification is hampering the deployment of UTM services globally, according to UTM service provider Altitude Angel executives speaking at a 21 July 2020 seminar organised by the company. COO Chris Forster called for faster implementation of drone services and warned against “waiting for standards to come along”.