Page 31 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2018 Online Magazine

that involves technical, economical and us the option to extend services in areas of New Zealand
regulatory risk when it comes to progress. where the costs of building or servicing a physical tower are

The project is on schedule with regards currently not cost effective,” says Airways chief operating
to the milestone plan,” says Avinor. Under officer Pauline Lamb. Recently, Searidge Technologies, a
the agreement with Avinor, Kongsberg technology innovator providing Remote Tower and Digital
has employed technology from defense Airport solutions, announced that their Remote Tower solu-
projects, integrated with partner Indra tion has been certified for live operations, without restrictions,
Navia’s tower management systems. The at Budapest Airport (BUD). The Remote Tower system has
technology includes rugged and “innova- been certified by the Hungarian Civil Aviation Authority.
tive” sensors, redundant secure networks, “HungaroControl and Searidge have created a strong part-
real-time data transmission and data-stor- nership and together have achieved remarkable things,”
age systems. Indra Navia is supplying explains Kornél Szepessy, CEO, HungaroControl. “Our com-
integrated visualization systems based bined efforts have not only resulted in a certified remote
on its Nova Tower line of products, used tower for Budapest airport, but also created an opportunity
at London Heathrow, Paris Charles de for us to share what we have learned to help other ANSPs
Gaulle, Dubai, Beijing and other airports. with their remote tower programs.”
“With more than 95 per cent export of At the end of 2016, HungaroControl and Searidge suc-
tower systems from Norway to the world’s cessfully completed live trials of its integrated Remote
leading aviation organisations and airports, Tower at Budapest airport. Close to 600 movements were
Indra Navia looks forward to cooperating managed during the trial period, without any limitation or
with Avinor and Kongsberg to provide this constraints regarding the scheduled traffic. All responsibil-
unique solution to a growing international ities were delegated to a fully seated shift, including four
market,” says Indra Navia president Eldar ATCOs and a supervisor (a total of 13 ATCOs participated
Hauge.Remote towers are planned in a in the trial) providing smooth and fluent air traffic control
number of other countries. In 2019, NATS, services. The certified system will be used for contingency
Britain’s air-traffic management company, operations, live training and as a back-up system, but by the
will replace the control tower at London end of 2018, HungaroControl’s goal is to operate a full-time
City Airport with a remote service oper- remote tower in Budapest. “We are happy to have been given
ating at NATS’s air-traffic control centre the opportunity to showcase the strength of our technology
145km away. Airways New Zealand late last and reconfirm its viability to provide safe, efficient control
year selected Frequentis to provide a services,” says Moodie Cheikh, CEO, Searidge Technologies.

“HungaroControl now has the busiest
digital air traffic control tower demonstra-
tion to show how the safety and efficiency certified remote tower, and we look forward
of airport operations could be enhanced. to continuing our momentum with them as
The system will be supported by addi- we they move towards their longer-term
tional situational awareness tools such as vision for the system” -- Moodie Cheikh
target tracking and infrared capabilities.
The demonstration will allow Airways New
Zealand to assess how the technology India’s First RVT Likely by December 2018
could improve visualisation during per- ith air passenger traffic in India, the world’s fourth
sistent weather issues, extend the hours biggest market, growing at over 20 per cent
of air services at regional locations and in annually, and plans under way towards reviving
turn improve the effectiveness of airport W50 regional airports in the next two years under
operations as well as safety. a new scheme to boost connectivity between small cities,
“Digital towers are one of the intelligent the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is working with the coun-
transport technologies we are looking at try’s aviation safety watchdog, the Directorate General of
to modernise our air traffic network and Civil Aviation (DGCA), to initiate a study on remote moni-
ensure New Zealand gets the most benefit toring of flights. It has sought information from countries
out of an increasingly complex and busy where remote towers are in use. According to Guruprasad
airspace. In the future, digital towers could Mohapatra, Chairman of AAI, India is likely to get its first
support greater air connectivity, by giving
remote air traffic control tower by December 2018 at

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