Imtradex launches a new family member of the AirTalk® family. It is called AirTalk® ZETA. It is an On-The-Ear headset type. The headset provides a high comfort while you can fully concentrate on your job. The new type is designed for use in ATM environments. It fully includes into the existing AirTalk® eco system, whether to be used in operational areas or in the training and simulation area.
The headset is highly flexible with a great robustness and endurance, especially designated to critical communications. The sleek design is very unique. It comes with a broad headband for a light fit at the ATCO’s head. In combination with the bigger ear cups and the CoolMax® ear cushions the headset provides a shielded environment to keep the concentration at top levels even with background noise.
All acoustic components are already used in our AirTalk 5000 series and provide crystal clear communications to the user as well as the counterpart. It is fully scalable and can be combined with the existing solutions at the ANSP. Together with the Imtradex PTT series – PTT-19, PTT-19 Dual, PTT-13 or PTT-13 Volume Control – ATCO’s in all areas will enjoy the new variant.
The headset AirTalk® ZETA will be launched during Airspace World in Geneva, one of the most important events for the ATM industry. Imtradex is exhibiting and can be found at booth B40. It is planned to have the new headset type market available during Q3 2024.
Atech highlights ATM innovations at Airspace World 2024
Atech, an Embraer Group company, will present its latest airspace management and control innovations at Airspace World 2024, which takes place between March 19 and 21 in Geneva, Switzerland. Organized by CANSO (Civil Air Navigation Services Organization), the event is one of the most important in the world for air navigation.
Atech, part of the Embraer Group, will present the latest innovations from its portfolio of solutions for airspace management and control at the event held by CANSO in Geneva
At its stand in the F22 area of Airspace World 2024, Atech will highlight the ATM products (Makron family), a set of solutions for airspace management and control. Among the novelties, the company will present its latest success case: the Single Air Traffic Management Platform (SingleATM Platform), which is in development in partnership with CISCEA (Commission for Implementation of the Brazilian Air Space Control System).
The SingleATM Platform is an HW and SW structure to host ATM systems based on service-oriented architecture (SOA), sustained by five pillars: capacity, efficiency, operational environment, operational security, and software security. This platform aims to reduce expansion, integration, and maintenance costs and increase interoperability among ATM systems. Furthermore, it aims to reduce development/testing costs, provide the same visual identity for the hosted systems, and provide greater availability/resilience. Finally, the SingleATM Platform will be responsible for increasing the level of ATM systems cybersecurity, adhering to international standards. This SingleATM Platform can be hosted on on-premises hardware or a private or public cloud.
“The SingleATM Platform enables the reduction of costs related to expansion, integration, acquisition, and maintenance, also increasing interoperability among systems and enhancing the cybersecurity level of hosted systems, according to international security practices required for critical systems,” said Marcos Resende, ATM Business Director at Atech.
He emphasizes that this platform is being developed innovatively and customized to meet the demand of DECEA (Department of Airspace Control), the Brazilian ANSP. for integration and modernization of the Brazilian Airspace Control System (SISCEAB) programs. In addition, the SingleATM Platform will also be suitable for any ANSP in the world.
In Brazil, Atech maintains a long-standing strategic partnership with the DECEA. The company is responsible for the development and updates of the main Brazilian air traffic management systems, such as ATC system SAGITARIO, ATFM system SIGMA, ATC Simulator PLATAO, SWIM Platform AQUILA, AMHS, among others.
ATC System as a service
Another case that will be highlighted by Atech during Airspace World 2024 will be ATMAS (ATM Automation System), is the “ATC as a service” model, where the air traffic management system is made available to the ANSP (Air Navigation System Provider) without the need of the ANSP to acquire hardware or support infrastructure. In this model, in addition to deployment, Atech is also responsible for support, technical assistance, and all necessary hardware and system repairs at no additional cost to the customer, who pays for a subscription during the contractual period.
“The implementation of ATMAS can be a good strategy for ANSPs, and the SaaS approach can generate significant gains not only financially but also in the customization of the solution. With consolidated experience in ATM projects, Atech has also been leading these new approaches, contributing to the modernization, security, and efficiency of Air Traffic Services (ATS),” explains Marcos Resende.
Atech will also take advantage of the event to present the cybersecurity concepts that have been integrated into its ATM product portfolio, which follows global cybersecurity standards. The application of these concepts in the ATM ecosystem has become increasingly important due to its growing connection to the worldwide network.
In the field of research and development, Atech will present the results of its latest research in the field of Artificial Intelligence applied to ATM, such as “Analysis of Air Traffic Operational Performance through Flight Trajectory Data” and “Complexity Classification of Airspace Sector,” among others.
International Presence
In addition to leading technological advances in ATM in Brazil, Atech has a strong presence in the international market, with its technologies and systems being used in Latin America, Africa, and India. Among the products in the global market are Skyflow (ATFM) and Leo (IFPS) products in India, both adapted to the country’s specific needs and in compliance with Eurocontrol standards.
ATFM SKYFLOW Cloud, an air traffic flow management system developed for cloud platforms, is also one of the highlights of the portfolio that will be presented at Airspace World 2024. The cloud-based ATFM SKYFLOW system allows ANSPs to access the full set of ATFM functionalities, as preconized by ICAO, with reduced investment and maintenance costs.
ATM Portfolio Makron
Atech supplies a complete set of Air Traffic Management solutions that allow the ANSPs to provide air navigation services from takeoff to landing, gate-to-gate, offering maximum safety, reliability, and efficiency. The Makron portfolio of ATM products is as follows:
SKYFLOW (ATFM): Designed to compute the demand and capacity balance of the airspace based on the regulated elements. The CDM environment (Collaboration Decision Making), allows stakeholders to plan the balance of the airspace strategically, as well as during the pre-tactical and tactical phases, where TMI (Traffic Measurement Initiatives) can be applied to keep the balance of the airspace.
SAGITARIO (ATC): It is a modern and integrated ATC solution that provides a set of operational tools for air traffic controllers to support their decision-making processes. The system delivers accurate situational awareness sourced from multiple types of sensors, flight plans, and weather information to provide comprehensive situational awareness to ATCO.
PLATAO (ATC SIMULATOR): A simulator system that supports training and simulations for air traffic controllers. It allows the instructor to explore as many different operational scenarios as possible, making the trainees more experienced in real situations.
LEO (IFPS): This Initial Flight Plan System was developed to centralize, process, and distribute the flight plans to the stakeholders involved. It can be integrated into the eFPL JANUS app, a flight plan filling application for mobile devices, which eliminates errors and increases the security and agility of flight planning submission.
JANUS (AMHS): Based on robust and clustered technology, it provides messaging uninterruptible services for multiple interconnected subscribers. Based on a friendly interface, the User Agents can send/receive several types of ATS messages based on pre-formatted forms.
COSMOS (R-AFIS): It offers resources specifically designed to provide flight information services as an AFIS (Aerodrome Flight Information Service) for aerodromes at remote locations, optimizing the use of specialized operational personnel.
COSMOS (R-AFIS): It offers resources specifically designed to provide flight information services as an AFIS (Aerodrome Flight Information Service) for aerodromes at remote locations, optimizing the use of specialized operational personnel.
AURA (OPMET): It is a repository of meteorological information in which agents periodically report the meteorological conditions of a given area, which can be retrieved by general aviation and airlines.
AQUILA (SWIM): It is a platform to provide interoperability among different ATM Systems, harmonizing the information for different stakeholders, by using international standards for publishing and consuming information.
CERTIUM locate from Rohde & Schwarz enhances air traffic control efficiency and safety over Hungary
HungaroControl has successfully implemented nationwide CERTIUM Locate system from Rohde & Schwarz, ensuring comprehensive air traffic coverage above 10,000 feet in Hungarian airspace.
Rohde & Schwarz and HungaroControl, the national air navigation service provider of Hungary, jointly announced during the CANSO Airspace World event, that they successfully implemented CERTIUM Locate nationwide. This cutting-edge technology, developed by Rohde & Schwarz, ensures comprehensive coverage above 10,000 feet in the airspace of Hungary by automatically identifying and pinpointing calling aircraft on the air traffic controller’s radar screen. The benefits are intuitive call sign identification on the screen, avoidance of confusion, increased situational awareness and improved user experience and confidence.
The deployed CERTIUM Locate system comprises ATC direction finders strategically placed across the country for optimal functionality. Central components such as administration consoles and allocation servers calculate the exact position of the calling aircraft in almost real-time and provide it via the Asterix interface seamlessly to the radar screen.
To ensure minimum environmental impact and maximum cost efficiency while achieving seamless coverage, the direction finding (DF) sites were installed on top of existing telecommunication towers. This innovative approach allowed for a simplified roll-out process, as base station towers are readily available across the country and the top part of the masts is typically vacant and ideal for direction finder antennas. To further enhance the system’s effectiveness, eleven ATC VHF radio sites were connected to the location server to suppress ground station radio transmissions on the operators’ radar screens.
László Tóth, CEO of HungaroControl, expressed his satisfaction with the CERTIUM Locate system, stating: “During peak times, this advanced technology significantly improves our controllers’ work efficiency and enhances overall safety.”
Barnabás Kis, CTO of HungaroControl, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the positive feedback received from users on the intuitive use and the increased situational awareness.
The nationwide implementation of the CERTIUM Locate system marks a significant milestone for HungaroControl and the aviation sector in Hungary. The system’s swift execution, coupled with its numerous benefits, including increased efficiency and enhanced safety, has solidified its role as an innovator in air traffic management. Given the recent surge in air traffic volumes in South-Eastern Europe, other ANSPs in the region or in other parts of Europe with dense airspace can benefit from HungaroControl’s experience.
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 Air Navigation Service Provider (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. Reliable, trusted and cost effective traffic feeds are a key enabler for airports and ANSP’s wishing to take advantage of new surveillance technologies.
David Perez, CEO of DataBeacon, says, “Safety is our top priority at DataBeacon but this is only achieved if we also balance the importance of cost-effectiveness for our customers. With the collaboration between DataBeacon and uAvionix, we are able to provide reliable and trusted traffic feeds that minimize infrastructure investments for air navigation service providers and airports, allowing them to take full advantage of new surveillance technologies. By leveraging the validated ADS-B data from uAvionix, our solutions offer a unique value proposition that sets our solution apart from traditional legacy technologies.”
The uAvionix FlightLine service provides validated ADS-B track data from a first-of-its-kind high integrity surveillance network of dual-band ADS-B receivers. FlightLine’s truSky™ validation score provides airports and ANSP’s confidence in the track data for airspace surveillance while the Romeo5 system displays system and connectivity status. The cloud-based system performs at low latencies with redundancy to ensure timely and reliable delivery of ADS-B data from cooperative aircraft. With traceability to certified avionics for ADS-B, the combined Romeo5 and FlightLine surveillance data-as-a-service is a trusted solution for airports and ANSP’s.
The innovative uAvionix truSky validation process inside FlightLine uses the network of multiple low-cost and low-profile deployed dual-frequency (1090MHz and 978MHz) ADS-B ground receivers to evaluate ADS-B signals transmitted from an aircraft. The system then instantly compares the received signals to confirm that the signal originated from the aircraft’s position. When enough sensors are available, truSky uses a number of methods to backwards calculate the aircraft’s position and compares it to the position contained within the ADS-B transmission. Using Doppler information, multilateral timing, and aircraft kinetics, the calculation produces a validation score on each aircraft to provide the confidence and safety margin required for trusted use by airports and ANSP’s operators.
Compliant with UK CAA CAP670 regulation, Romeo5 is a low-complexity Flight Information Display (FID) for aerodromes and airports in the UK. Romeo5 has been built upon the foundation of DataBeacon’s Romeo5 tower and airport solution. The on-premise system is easily deployed on a variety of computer operating systems and offers a cost-effective alternative to a traditional radar and surveillance data processing systems. Utilizing multiple data sources, including ADS-B, Romeo5 delivers a next-generation user-friendly interface providing increased visibility to AFISOs and ATCOs.
Customers wishing to take advantage of DataBeacon Romeo5 with FlightLine validated ADS-B Data should contact David Perez of DataBeacon for further information on the benefits of the combination and how to add FlightLine coverage to their airspace.
CANSO Executive Summit 2024 in pictures
The CANSO Executive Summit 2024 kicked off Airspace World in style at the Palexpo Centre yesterday (Tuesday 18 March). More than 450 leaders from across the ATM industry heard from a wide range of speakers and experts covering topics including the impact of Artificial Intelligence and sustainability.
Airspace World starts the way it means to go on – offering rich content on every aspect of air traffic management operations. With some 170 exhibitors and five theatres, innovation and inspiration are never more than a few steps away.
Here are just a few suggestions to ensure you learn something new on Tuesday 19 March:
10:30-11:20 Wing Theatre
Traffic Management Services to Support AAM Entry into Service
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is set to transform the industry. Whether it’s drones or air taxis, providing the requisite air navigation services will be key to AAM’s safe and seamless integration into civil airspace.
11:00-11:25 Boeing Theatre
Greening the Skies – How ATM can play its part
Sustainability is aviation’s license to grow, and the industry is committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Find out what air navigation service providers can do to help the industry continue reducing its carbon footprint.
13:00-13:50 Frequentis Theatre
Building an Aviation Strategic Plan on Service Excellence
A high-level panel representing all the major players in the aviation ecosystem will discuss exactly what needs to be done to ensure the end customer enjoys a smooth travel experience.
15:00-15:25pm Indra Theatre
ATM System Test Tool
HungaroControl explains why ATM system software testing is so important and the challenges that air navigation service providers, integrators and manufacturers face during testing. How can an automated test tool benefit companies during development and implementation procedures?
16:00-16:25pm Future Skies Theatre
How Space-Enabled Global VHF Communications can Transform Air Traffic Management
Get crucial insights on the implementation of space-based Very High Frequency (VHF) for air navigation service providers. In this engaging session, industry experts will explore the key benefits and challenges.
A final highlight of the day is the presentation of the Air Traffic Management Awards, presented in partnership with Air Traffic Management Magazine. Across five categories, the awards will acknowledge the pioneering concepts, initiatives, and significant achievements of leaders and organisations in the air traffic management industry and are open to all ATM, UTM, UAM, UAS and Space stakeholders.
The reality of artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a much-hyped concept in recent years, touted as a transformative technology for aviation and many other industries.
At the CANSO Executive Summit 2024, delegates heard about AI opportunities and challenges in air traffic management from experts in the field. A keynote presentation by Dr. Mark Esposito, Professor of Strategy and Economics, Hult International Business School and advisor to governments was followed by a high-level panel discussion.
Dr. Esposito began by explaining the World Economic Forum’s Great Reset that began in 2020, which essentially aims to determine strategies that are relevant to the post-pandemic world.
He noted that beyond the headlines of various crises, world trade and connectivity is increasing. But the pain points in this complex structure can’t be managed by old tools. And this is where AI comes in. Dr. Esposito said that, by 2030, the world will begin what he called Globalisation 2.0 or the Cognitive Economy. Everything will shift to favour those organisations that can optimise human-to-everything relationships.
The Cognitive Economy has many drivers. It was noted, for example, that the pandemic pushed internet use to new highs, with increases of 30 per cent in many countries. This leads to increasing amounts of data. As it stands, only 0.5 per cent of data is analysed, meaning data waste is huge. But, as data becomes structured and analysed – in other words, data quality improves – trust will increase and so will trust in AI.
On the panel, Marie-Pier Berman, Chief of Operations, NAV CANADA, made the point that people accept human error but not computer error. This does change over time, however. Berman cited the example of humans operating the first elevators so that people would be confident enough to use them. Now, a human operating an elevator would make people think that something was wrong.
This raises the fear that AI will replace humans. But Dr. Esposito stressed this was not the case and suggested that AI should be thought of as human augmentation. It is there to support human decision-making rather than replace it.
Nevertheless, it was accepted that traffic is increasing to levels that will certainly necessitate the use of AI across all ATM operations.
The panel agreed that it was still early days in terms of integrating AI into safety-critical systems. Initial uses are likely to centre on such topics as runway configuration, flow management and training. These would all reduce the burden on the human.
Parimal Kopardekar, Director, NASA Aeronautics Research Institute, pointed out that there are only so many parameters that a human can consider and arrive at a decision in a reasonable time frame. AI can quickly do all the hard work and allow a human to make an informed decision.
He also explained that there are two possible types of decision that AI could make. A strategic decision, such as long-term capacity planning is easily reversible if different factors come into play. Tactical decisions, however, are immediate and non-reversible. And this is where humans must always play a role.
Kopardekar also explained that a good architecture would see a completely deterministic safety module sit on top of AI to ensure that AI never did anything that threatened safety. Another safeguard is to ensure visibility on what the AI is learning so that experts can step in to correct it if necessary before it starts to incorporate these lessons in its programming. “We need to put on guard rails,” he said.
The panel ended with discussions on collaboration and certification. The former is essential to establish rules that are followed globally while the latter has working groups examining the thorny issue as the industry has not had to deal with non-deterministic systems before.
“Boundaries will change, and this will be a constantly evolving space,” concluded Dr. Esposito.
The Panel
Eduard Gringinger, Principal Data Scientist, Frequentis
Juliette Mattioli, Senior Expert in AI, Thales
Kevin Hightower, VP of Product, Cirium
Marie-Pier Berman, Chief of Operations, NAV CANADA
Mark Esposito, Professor of Strategy and Economics, Hult International Business School
Parimal Kopardekar, Director, NASA Aeronautics Research Institute
You can listen to Dr. Esposito’s speech and a Q&A with CANSO Director General, Simon Hocquard in a special edition of the new CANSO Air traffic Management Podcast, available on Spotify, Apple, and all the major Podcast platforms. Listen here.
Business continuity in a volatile world
Aviation is a dynamic industry and endures more than its fair share of crises, including health-related events, extreme weather and geopolitical instability.
But Micilia Albertus-Verboom, Director General, Dutch Caribbean Air Navigation Service Provider (DC-ANSP), says that experience has taught ANSPs to become more resilient and agile. “ANSPs have demonstrated that when challenges emerge it is important to take early action and be flexible in financial and non-financial measures.”
Collaboration with all stakeholders is equally important if a crisis is to be successfully addressed. By collaborating with the various players in the aviation ecosystem, ANSPs can benefit from their partners’ experience, skills and lessons learned. That leads to ANSPs being able to make quick, informed decisions and so strengthens their resilience.
Albertus-Verboom adds that the biggest challenge is properly assessing the risks and potential responses. Simply, it is difficult for an ANSP to examine the myriad ways a complex industry like aviation can go wrong.
“The responsibility of the different actors within this process must be identified and acknowledged,” she says. “Leadership must assign sufficient financial and human resources before, during and post-event.”
The training of contingency procedures to ensure personnel are aware of the steps to take during a crisis event is key. “ANSPs should actively train to adapt to changing routines and to prepare for the unexpected to match the changing requirements of possible scenarios,” Albertus-Verboom concludes. “Periodical training of the contingency procedures is a must.”
To learn more, visit the Indra Theatre, Tuesday 19 March at 10:00 to hear Micilia and a panel discuss: Crisis Management in Air Traffic Management: Ensuring Business Continuity.
Airspace World coming together on Super Sunday
Here’s the latest selection of pictures showing how Airspace World 2024 is coming together. The stands of our 170 exhibitors are in the final stages of their build, our theatres are ready, and we’re looking forward to welcoming our thousands of attendees on Tuesday.
Airspace World 2024 taking shape
The builders are in and Airspace World 2024 is coming together.
Here’s a selection of pictures from Friday 15 and Saturday 16 March that show how Airspace World 2024 is going to the be the biggest gathering of the ATM industry ever.
