DFS Aviation Services and SITA revolutionize Air Traffic Management with new AMAN/DMAN solution
DFS Aviation Services (DAS) and SITA have announced a collaboration to develop a coupled Arrival Manager (AMAN) and Departure Manager (DMAN) solution. This strategic partnership, aligned with the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between the two entities, aims to revolutionize air traffic management and enhance operational efficiency at airports worldwide.
The primary goal of this collaboration is to optimize outbound and inbound traffic, maximizing runway throughput and utilization, particularly at airports with mixed mode operations. By integrating DAS’s ATC procedure expertise with SITA’s ground movement knowledge and A- CDM capability, the coupled AMAN/DMAN solution promises to streamline flight operations and improve coordination among approach, tower controllers, and apron management staff. This collaborative initiative ensures that the coupled AMAN/DMAN solution meets the diverse needs of both airspace and ground operations.
“With our combined strengths, we are ready to deliver an innovative solution,” said Andreas Pötzsch, Managing Director from DAS. “Our goal is to achieve ICAO ASBU compliancy and set new standards for flight efficiency and coordination.”
“The development of this solution is a testament to our commitment to innovation and collaboration,” stated Peter Drummond, Vice President Airports, from SITA. “By working closely with experts and users from both systems, we are developing a product that improves airport operations and enhances the overall airport experience.”
Faster drone flight approvals with FREQUENTIS automated risk assessment tool in Lithuania
Frequentis digital application to cut the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) process time by up to 75 per cent
Automated risk assessment will enable scalable beyond visual line of sight operations
World’s first automated and digital risk analysis service as value add to an UTM system
Oro Navigacija, the air navigation service provider (ANSP) of Lithuania, is extending its Frequentis uncrewed traffic management (UTM) solution with a digital, automated, risk assessment tool to speed up the classification of the risk posed by a drone flight in the specific category of operations and for the identification of mitigations and of the safety objectives.
The digital application from skyzr, a member of the Frequentis Group, is the world’s first for automated risk analysis supporting drone operators with creating SORA according to the guidelines defined by the Joint Authorities for Rulemaking of Unmanned Systems and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), cutting operator process time by up to 75 per cent.
The service, called wingman, will be provided as a web and mobile friendly application to be integrated into the future Lithuania UTM system, once deployed and operational. It follows the strategy to create a complete drone environment as a one stop shop for value added drone related services.
“In Lithuania, as with the rest of the world, the commercial need for scalable drone operations is increasing. Therefore, we are pleased to be able to support our Lithuanian drone industry by providing “wingman” as first additional value-add service to create digital risk assessments for faster flight permissions,” said Saulius Batavičius, CEO Oro Navigacija. “We are pleased to continue working with Frequentis by extending our current UTM service portfolio, harnessing their experience from other drone integration projects, while incorporating the specific needs of our airspace.”
In June 2023, Oro Navigacija selected Frequentis to provide its proven UTM solution for safe, efficient, and conformant introduction of drones into Lithuanian airspace as drone use cases grow.
“Automated and efficient risk assessments for drone operations will add value and safety to the ecosystem and, in particular, for emergency services. skyzr is pleased to be providing this additional digital service for the first ANSP in Europe to facilitate commercially valuable and lifesaving drone use cases. The extension of the wingman application, alongside the Frequentis UTM system, will further enhance safety and conformance and the ability for drones to scale with the perceived demand,” says Markus Bardach, Managing Director skyzr.
Spanish ENAIRE extends FREQUENTIS contingency communication and maintenance project for up to 12 years
Contract for expansion and maintenance of the voice communication backup systems for all major Spanish air traffic control (ATC) centres
Benefits to include increased capacity of air traffic controller radio and telephone resources improving the quality of contingency communications and resilience
Full integration into ENAIRE’S digital communication network
Extensive software maintenance element will prolong the system’s life span
Spanish air navigation service provider (ANSP) ENAIRE has selected Frequentis to complete an expansion of its contingency communication systems upgrade, known as Last Resort Voice.
Frequentis has been successfully collaborating with ENAIRE since 2020 to implement its IP-based voice communication solution across Spain, bringing on average one centre live per year. The latest contract expansion will include operational maintenance to extend the lifecycle of its systems. The systems are being provided to all major ATC centres as a backup system in the event of unavailability of the main voice communications.
“Frequentis has been providing ENAIRE with its VCS3020X IP-based voice communication system as a contingency system across nine locations in Spain since 2020,” says Hannu Juurakko, Frequentis Executive Vice President ATM Civil and Chairman of the ATM Executive Team. “Providing comprehensive maintenance services for those systems to keep them up to date and to protect ENAIRE’s investment is the next step in this process to maximise the life cycle of the system.”
The project period is six years, with two potential three-year extensions, guaranteeing provision and coverage of operational needs for the next decade. Full integration into ENAIRE’s internet protocol (IP) communication network will facilitate the migration to voice over IP (VoIP), replacing older analogue features.
“We are facing an ambitious project that will allow us to have a contingency voice communication system for our control centres, with all the capabilities for oral communications between controllers and with pilots. This will allow us to ensure the provision of air traffic control service in a more efficient way and with the use of cutting-edge digital technology,” says Enrique Maurer, CEO ENAIRE.
Adacel awarded new FAA contract for TSS System Software and Support
Adacel Technologies Limited, an industry leader in advanced Air Traffic Management (ATM) and Air Traffic Control (ATC) simulation and training solutions, announces a new contract award from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The contract, a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, includes a one-year Base Period and four, one-year Option Periods. Under this contract, Adacel will provide ATC Tower Simulation System (TSS) Software and Support Services for technical and operational training of Air Traffic Controllers at selected FAA Air Traffic Control Towers (ATCTs). Adacel estimates the total value of the contract over its five-year duration to be USD$6.7 million contingent on the optional years exercised.
Speaking about the award, Daniel Verret, Adacel’s CEO states, “As the FAA TSS software Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), we are thrilled with the confidence the Federal Aviation Administration continues to place in our team, products, and services. Adacel consistently improves the performance of its ATC simulation software, while maintaining the highest levels of availability and reliability. We look forward to successfully supporting the FAA TSS software and deploying our latest ATC training software solutions to the FAA.”
The comprehensive scope of the awarded contract includes TSS software support andmaintenance plus options to update the TSS simulation engine, speech recognition software and migrate the FAA’s current Image Generator to AeroScene, Adacel’s latest and state-of-theart image generator solution.
“We are fully committed in supporting the FAA to successfully recruit, train, and enhance the skills of Air Traffic Controllers at critical National Airspace System (NAS) terminal facilities and ensure each day is a training day with Adacel’s high-performing simulation and training solutions,” continues Mr. Verret.
This contract reaffirms Adacel’s industry leadership and ongoing collaboration with the FAA, spanning over two decades. By delivering industry-leading technology and solutions, Adacel remains committed to advancing air traffic control simulation and training systems for the benefit of the aviation industry.
This contract award has already been included in the Company’s forecasts. There are nomaterial conditions that need to be satisfied before the contract becomes legally binding.
People are our strength
Katrina Hall, Deputy Chief Operating Officer NAS Programs and Support, FAA ATO, is a key panellist at our Inclusive Skies: Strategies for Diversity in Aviation session in the Boeing Theatre on Wednesday 20 March, at 15:30. Here she talks about the importance of diversity and inclusion in the ATM industry.
Is aviation an attractive industry to Gen Z?
Aviation is undergoing momentous change. Drones and commercial space vehicles are revolutionizing the industry, we’re introducing digital technologies and looking at how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to increase safety. There are future technologies that I can only dream about and have yet to be invented. We need to recruit a passionate and curious workforce as we integrate all these new technologies into the system.
I think aviation, with its strong history of innovation and focus on connecting people, is attractive to Gen Z. Our challenge is ensuring that through outreach, we meet them on their terms, in their spaces. For example, we have a strong digital footprint on social media and collaborate with influencers from our target audiences to engage with and provide information to Gen Zers on aviation opportunities.
What more can we do to close the gender gap?
Women play critical roles throughout the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Organizations like Professional Women Controllers, Inc., Technical Women’s Organization and the Federal Women’s Program are breaking down barriers to the hiring and advancement of women as well as enhancing employment opportunities for women in every area of federal service.
We know we have more work to do, and through our diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) outreach programs continue to engage with women and female students to show them the career opportunities that exist in aviation.
How important are role models?
I believe that role models are hugely important. It’s so much easier to see yourself in a career if you have a person who can support or inspire you on your journey.
We know that there are many talented people who would excel in aviation, however if you are in a community where no one talks about aviation it’s hard to imagine oneself making it a career. That’s why I am so passionate about mentorship – I’m able to provide information and see opportunities that the person may never have considered.
In addition to our established recruitment efforts, those of us who work in aviation are the best advocates for our industry. I believe we should all aspire to be the role model that we wanted/needed when we started our professional journeys.
What constitutes success in diversity?
At the FAA people are our strength. We are stronger, more innovative, and more successful when diverse talents and experiences are present at the table. The mission of the FAA is to ensure the safety of a diverse nation. It only makes sense that the workforce responsible for that mission reflects the nation that it serves.
For the FAA, diversity is a wide range of life experiences and backgrounds. We believe diversity is needed to ensure multiple perspectives are at the table, guarantee safety as a priority, and promote a healthy work environment. We believe that when we work together, we will advance our objectives more efficiently and effectively than if we do not.
Hear from Katrina at the Inclusive Skies: Strategies for Diversity in Aviation session, Wednesday 20 March, 15:30, Boeing Theatre
Reflections on a super Tuesday
Tuesday saw the opening day of Airspace World 2024, with thousands of attendees from over 130 countries coming to be part of the largest ATM gathering. You can see all of yesterday’s pictures here.
Don’t waste a Wednesday at Airspace World
Airspace World is in full swing, and all our speakers and exhibitors are stepping up to the challenge of keeping our attendees engaged and informed. As ever, there is a full programme of sessions at the five theatres. Here are just a few highlights:
10:00-10:25am Wing Theatre
Electronic Conspicuity, the Roadblock to AAM
A complete picture of airspace is necessary for the safety of all users. The concept of sharing position data is called Electronic Conspicuity. Traditionally, this is done with ADS-B systems but not all aircraft can or choose to use ADS-B. This session will look at UTM, designed to be a comprehensive EC system capable of supporting various types of flight plans and flight tracking systems.
10:30-11:20am Boeing Theatre
Solving a Decades-Old Problem: Dynamic Civil-Military Airspace Sharing
A US company is looking to facilitate civil-military cooperation. Its solution – called Dynamic Airspace Sharing – provides tools to military range commanders, air traffic controllers and flights dispatchers. The aim is to achieve notable reductions in flight times, operating expenses and CO2 emissions.
Increasing digitalisation means an increasing cybersecurity challenge. Participants in this panel will explore the latest emerging technologies relevant to aviation, and discuss the measures, strategies, and collaborative efforts required to fortify the integrity of our airspace systems.
2:30-2:55pm Future Skies Theatre
Enabling Reasonable Autonomy for Emphatic AI Agents in ATM through Large Language Models
Large Language Models (LLMs) have the potential to shape aviation’s future. LLMs can function as reasoning engines, self-deciding agents and human-machine interfaces on a variety of fields, such as ATCO workflows, airline operations and U-space services. Learn how these models ingest relevant data and output informed answers.
4:00-4:25pm Frequentis Theatre
The Power of Sharing: Operational Benefits of Convergence
Find out how advanced digital technology is driving a convergence between airport and tower operations. This promises several advantages, including enhanced situational awareness, an increased time horizon for decision-making and optimisation of airport capacity.
How ATM can drive the industry to net zero
The Boeing Theatre hosted an in-depth presentation on how ATM can play its part in greening the skies.
Vicki Hughes and William McMaster from Egis accepted that aviation is a carbon-intensive industry and there are enormous pressures to reduce CO2 from customers through to governments. Even banks are looking at whether investments are aligned with the Paris Agreement and so future projects will depend on an organisation’s green credentials.
The talk explained the Scopes, which were laid down in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol:
Scope 1 – direct emissions, such as facilities and vehicles.
Scope 2 – indirect emissions, such as energy supply source
Scope 3 – other indirect emissions throughout the supply chain, such as aircraft emissions.
A holistic approach involving all stakeholders is therefore essential because emissions can occur at any point in the supply chain.
It was suggested that, for any organisation, including air navigation service providers (ANSPs), a roadmap is a good place to start. This would establish the existing carbon footprint as a baseline for future improvements. The roadmap would then explore where new technologies, collaboration, and advanced procedures can be properly utilised, and the timeframes involved. A roadmap could even consider charges and how they can be used to incentivise greener practices.
Relevant accreditations and certifications, such as CANSO’s GreenATM and ISO standards, are also important markers on the road to net zero. ANSPs should be aware that these can take time and resources, but they are extremely useful tools for identifying any gaps and plotting progress.
Airspace changes and modernisation were also highlighted as essential enablers for sustainability. Airspace changes require close collaboration but will facilitate free route airspace, cross-border operations and continuous descent approaches, all of which offer significant efficiency and sustainability gains.
The presenters also noted that a sustainability dashboard can assist ANSPs in recognising air traffic management inefficiencies. A dashboard can give an “at-a-glance” overview of such topics as operational performance, weather patterns and airline routing preferences.
“We must encourage a proactive approach,” concluded Hughes. “We must balance growth requirements with environmental responsibility.”
Transforming the skies of tomorrow
Artificial intelligence (AI) once again took centre stage at the Frequentis Theatre, with panellists discussing how artificial intelligence is transforming air traffic management.
The conversation kicked off with a discussion of what exactly should be termed AI. NATS, the UK air navigation service provider (ANSP), has recently launched an AI policy and adopted a broad definition. For NATS, AI is anything that can support a human in his or her tasks or indeed undertake a task normally performed by a human.
It was also pointed out that AI is decades-old, and many companies have used AI for some time, depending on the definition. Frequentis, for example, developed a speech recognition programme that used AI many years ago.
A key point was that full automation that is reliant on AI is a long way off. For many years to come, AI’s role will be in decision support for air traffic controllers and other staff. This will build the trust and experience that will be essential to embracing the full potential of AI. The technology can also be used for monitoring and analysing.
Areas where AI can make an initial impact include weather prediction, digital twin scenarios, predictive maintenance and training. When getting a controller from “street to seat”, for example, AI can look at a student’s progress to ensure simulations are tailored to cover any possible shortfalls in knowledge.
AI is already playing a role mirroring time-based separation at London Heathrow. It was revealed that, generally, AI takes a safer approach than is absolutely necessary, but this is helping to inform the parameters that need to be put in place.
One of the biggest challenges ahead is certification. EUROCAE is working hard on a standard that will align Europe with the United States and also connect with other parts of the world. This work will be a cornerstone of AI development and a key enabler for progress.
Generative AI (Gen AI) is another step, however, because this rewrites its own code, thus defining how to certify Gen AI will be a long and difficult process.
Overall, however, AI will have a positive impact on ATM. It will enhance productivity, performance and resilience while providing the platform for future developments. But the form of these future developments is anybody’s guess!
Navigating air traffic management challenges
By Markus Klopf, Frequentis Head of ATM Portfolio and International Affairs
Passenger numbers are set to reach record highs in 2024, and we see airports looking for enhancements to deal with capacity and air traffic controller workload.
In the realm of Air Traffic Management (ATM), the absence of a unified global framework on resilience underscores a significant challenge. This gap leads to disparate national solutions, highlighting the need for a cohesive approach to ensure the reliability and continuity of air navigation services worldwide. Recently, at the ATM Users Experience Conference in Helsinki, industry leaders from over 20 Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) convened to address pressing issues and chart a course for the future.
The conference shone a light on the theme of digital transformation and its profound impacts on ATM. As one participant noted, similar to the intricate operations of a Formula 1 race car, modern ATM systems rely on a plethora of sensors and real-time data. However, success hinges not only on technology but also on the synergy between processes and people.
Key for us are solutions that increase ATM productivity, performance, and resilience, while also committing to green aviation. These are our considerations:
Productivity
Productivity is vital to the evolution of ATM. With heightened competition and escalating demands from airspace users, ANSPs are compelled to enhance operational efficiency to ensure not only improved passenger experience but also reduce costs. Technologies like remote digital towers offer promising solutions, yet the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), although promising precision and efficiency, brings some scepticism among ATM operational staff of its reliability and security.
Performance
High performance is equally critical to aviation and so every development must be guided by the need for operations to be reliable, scalable, and, above all, safe. The continued digitalisation of the ATM IT infrastructure allows for new approaches to digital applications and solutions. Open, digital platforms, as already widely used in mainstream IT, is taking its steps into ATM. We are happy that we started this digital transformation roadmap years ago and have already transitioned many ANSPs towards a new, ATM-grade, digital platform. The sheer amount of available computing power today offers new possibilities and approaches to cloud-based or distributed systems. The whole sector is challenged by those new possibilities: industry, ANSPs and also regulators must adopt and find new ways to ensure safety and reliability.
Resilience
As ATM infrastructure evolves and becomes a prime target for disruption, resilience grows in significance. Whether from natural disasters or malicious acts like hacking, it is clear of the need for continuous operation and the need to retain legacy infrastructure as a fallback measure. In recent times, we have learnt that resilience relies on the inclusion of technological precautions, , thoroughly planned contingency processes, and, most importantly the human factor. However, the industry still has not agreed on a harmonised concept and approach, leading to a multitude of diverse solutions across the world. It is great to see advances here by CANSO, such as the newly released “Planning for the expected and unexpected”.
The concept of virtualisation, in the form of virtual centres or remote digital towers is one way to increase resilience of the ATM system, while “digital immunity” is essential to maintain resilience and ensure continued operation after disruptions.
Green aviation
The industry is committed to driving a greener, more sustainable future. We believe sustainability is not just a trend but a necessity. As such, we are dedicated to promoting sustainable practices in our operations.
Sustainability, embodied by initiatives like the CANSO GreenATM scheme, is gaining momentum as the industry embraces eco-friendly practices. Although there are many advancements the challenges remain and the transition to the future requires us to embrace innovation.
The collaborative approach
Navigating the transition to the future of ATM while ensuring safety and reliability of legacy equipment involves significant costs and efforts. It calls for a collaborative approach with partners who share a common vision and are prepared to safeguard existing systems while embracing innovation.
As a reliable partner in ATM for years, we remain committed to navigating these challenges alongside our customers. Our investment in cutting-edge technology is matched by our unwavering commitment to operational integrity. Furthermore, our expansion in local regions underscores our dedication to fostering growth and resilience on a global scale.
Within this landscape, we stand ready to collaborate, fully committed to our clients and the industry. Recognising the complexities ahead, we are set to face these challenges together.
About Frequentis
Frequentis’ safety-critical communication and information solutions leverage more than seventy-five years of cross-industry experience in civil aviation, defence, public safety, and public transportation markets. Frequentis ATM ensures the safety of 95% of the world’s passengers and aircraft and helps ANSPs worldwide efficiently deliver safer and more secure capacity for airspace users.
Markus Klopf is Head of ATM Portfolio and International Affairs for the Air Traffic Management (ATM) division at Frequentis and has over 20 years of global experience in the telecommunications and IT sector. He is involved in international organizations such as CANSO and ATCA and is co-founder of the ATCA Young Aviation Professionals (YAP). In CANSO he’s part of the SISC Steering Group and Co-chair of the Strategic Technology Working Group. Markus has played a key role in growing the Frequentis portfolio in ATM, for example, he championed the creation of Frequentis’ drone strategy, worked on the transition from research to products for SWIM as well as growing the remote digital tower business. His credo is that he wants to make the world a better place, which is why he’s been very active in pushing green ATM solutions for many years. Prior to Frequentis, Markus held various commercial and technical positions at the Swedish telecoms company Ericsson. He has an engineering degree and earned his Master’s degree in Marketing and Sales at the University of Applied Sciences in Vienna, Austria. He is a passionate runner, cyclist, tennis player and certified chair umpire and referee.
