London’s three main airports are to benefit from the world’s most advanced flight data processing system, under an agreement announced today between NAV CANADA and the UK’s National Air Traffic Services. This latest technology, known as the Integrated Information Display System/Extended Computer Display System (IIDS/EXCDS) will create "paperless" towers, by eliminating the need for paper flight strips. The systems, the first of their kind in the UK, will be installed first at Stansted, then Gatwick and Heathrow airports over the next two years.
Peter Wilde, NATS Director of Airport Services, said: “NATS selected NAV CANADA to supply this equipment on the basis of its proven technology, excellent functionality and value for money. It is vital to our development plan for the major London airports and offers great potential for improved efficiency. We have been greatly impressed by the commitment and expertise of the NAV CANADA team, and look forward to commissioning the first system at Stansted in 2004.”
“This is a win-win scenario,” said John Crichton, NAV CANADA's President and CEO. “NATS benefits by purchasing our leading-edge technology because it will improve air traffic control efficiency and provide real-time benefits for its customers, while cost-effectively utilizing already developed and proven technology.”
IIDS/EXCDS allows tower controllers to manage electronic flight data online using touch-sensitive display screens. The technology’s total integration of flight data significantly reduces the need for voice communications among controllers and replaces the traditional method of using paper strips to keep track of air traffic.
IIDS/EXCDS, developed by NAV CANADA, has been operational since 1998 and is now in use at 10 of Canada's control towers, including Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.
This technology will increase efficiencies at London-area airports, by ensuring an instantaneous sharing of relevant flight information between workstations within the towers, and between the towers and terminal control. It will also provide better interface with airport systems such as gate and apron control.
Heathrow, the world’s busiest airport for international traffic, handles over 462,000 flights and 63 million passengers per year. Gatwick is the world’s most used single-runway airport, with 244,000 aircraft movements annually. And Stansted, the fastest growing airport in Europe, sees 184,000 flights per year.
On a related note, NAV CANADA and NATS announced today major milestones in several other collaborative agreements:
NAV CANADA’s commitment to develop and implement the Shanwick Automated Air Traffic System (SAATS) for NATS passed a critical phase – project definition/specification – and has now moved into project implementation.
SAATS, based on NAV CANADA’s Gander Automated Air Traffic System (GAATS) – the world’s most advanced oceanic air traffic system – will be modified to meet the technical and operational requirements of the UK operating environment.
SAATS will monitor the position of aircraft crossing the North Atlantic – the world’s busiest oceanic route – currently handling up to 1,000 flights a day. In addition to meeting future demand, SAATS offers several new features including map-based route planning, multiple option displays, and direct data uplink from control centre to flight deck. It also allows the ability to reassign airspace between control positions to optimise staffing and traffic flow requirements.
As part of the implementation phase for this project, four NATS employees and their families have temporarily moved to Ottawa, Canada. This will enable NATS and NAV CANADA experts to work closely on software development for the new system.
The contract to provide NATS with a Controller-Pilot Datalink Communications (CPDLC) workstation is now nearing completion with final acceptance testing. CPDLC brings added efficiency to the air navigation system by replacing voice communications with data-link between pilots and controllers over the North Atlantic.
Voice communications depend on high frequency (HF) radio where quality varies depending on atmospheric conditions and frequency congestion. With CPDLC, communication is faster and more reliable.
Finally, NAV CANADA has recently purchased NATS’ Oceanic Route Clearance Authorization (ORCA) software. ORCA provides the capability for aircraft approaching the oceanic boundary to request an oceanic clearance via VHF Datalink. This technology, an enhancement to the current NAV CANADA Oceanic Clearance, will be incorporated into both the GAATS and SAATS.
NAV CANADA, the country’s provider of civil air navigation services, is a non-share capital, private corporation with operations coast to coast providing air traffic control, flight information, weather briefings, aeronautical information, airport advisory services and electronic aids to navigation.
National Air Traffic Services (NATS) plans and provides air traffic services throughout the United Kingdom and over the eastern North Atlantic, more than a million square miles of airspace. NATS is a public-private partnership between the UK Government, a consortium of seven British airlines and airport operator BAA plc, with staff holding a five per cent share of the company.
For pictures of these latest technologies, visit our website at www.navcanada.ca
