First up, we have news from Sweden where flights at Umeå Airport are now controlled remotely. During an initial period, service provision will alternate between two traffic-control sites, RTC Stockholm and Umeå Airport. 'Remote air-traffic control will enable us to increase the availability of flights in Sweden, which will enable greater flexibility for air-traffic control services and hours of opening,' says LFV director-general, Ann Persson Grivas.
Next, in news from Peru, we're hearing about advancements at Lima Airport. Its new air traffic control tower from ADB SAFEGATE comes equipped with a state-of-the-art LED airfield ground lighting solution. Upgrades to the airport’s existing operational database, integration broker and resource management systems are also in the pipeline too.
In Denmark, Jimmi Hartvig will become the new CTO at Naviair from October 1st. He is coming from CPH where he worked for the last 12 years, most recently in the role of Head of Technology where he was responsible for infrastructure related to flight traffic management, IT projects, technology implementation, asset development, and security and safety.
And last but not least, we have exciting news from Canada. To better fight the wildfires, Transport Canada has authorised IN-FLIGHT Data to operate drone swarms beyond visual line of sight. This allows for simultaneous drone operations up to 2,500 feet high, in Class F and Class G airspace, day or night.
ANSP news
- UK air traffic issue fixed but flights remain affected - NATS was hit by a technical problem for several hours on Monday, causing widespread disruption to flights using the United Kingdom’s airspace. NATS had earlier had to restrict the flow of aircraft after the issue affected its system’s ability to automatically process flight plans, with airlines and airports warning of delays and cancellations.
- UK airlines and airports react to NATS technical issue - Airlines and airports from across the UK have been seeking to calm passengers and the wider aviation industry after a technical issue hit the country’s air traffic control systems over a bank holiday this week. While the issue has been resolved by NATS and flights should be returning to normal levels, many passengers are likely to continue experiencing delays and cancellations as airlines attempt to bring their staff and aircraft back in line with schedules.
- Jimmi Hartvig becomes new CTO at Naviair - Jimmi Hartvig comes from CPH, where he has worked for the last 12 years. Most recently as the Head of Technology, where he is responsible for infrastructure related to Flight Traffic Management, IT projects, technology implementation, Asset Development, and Security and Safety.
- Flights at Umeå Airport now traffic-controlled remotely - LFV - “We are proud of having commissioned Umeå Airport today at the RTC Stockholm traffic-control centre. It is now the third remotely controlled airport in our cooperation with Swedavia. Remote air-traffic control will enable us to increase the availability of flights in Sweden, which will enable greater flexibility for air-traffic control services and hours of opening”, says LFV director-deneral Ann Persson Grivas.
Airports news
- The largest airport projects in the US under construction - The US is home to more than 5,000 airports, but which projects currently under way are the largest in the country? And what role is foreign investment playing in these developments?
- Preferred Runway Alignment Released for Proposed Central Otago Airport - The company is exploring the potential for a new regional airport to ease well-known air capacity constraints in the Central Otago region. The report released today outlines the need for increased air capacity, the preferred runway alignment and length, information on the environment around our site and contains analysis on the impact an airport could have on the land transport network – and the implications of not building additional air capacity.
- Revolutionizing Lima Airport: ADB SAFEGATE delivers state-of-the-art airside technology for the future - The airport’s new air traffic control tower and a second runway opened in April 2023 equipped with a state-of-the-art LED airfield ground lighting solution from ADB SAFEGATE. Upgrades to the airport’s existing operational database, integration broker and resource management systems are also planned. Under this new contract, ADB SAFEGATE will deliver its latest Safedock FleX Advanced Visual Docking Guidance Systems (A-VDGS) and AiPRON Manager – giving Lima Airport a complete set of tools for superior efficiency.
- Finavia’s Business Review H1/23: The long-term financing of the Finnish airport network must be secured - Finavia's turnover increased in January–June thanks to increased passenger volumes. The company's profitability grew in all business areas, but the company's operating result remained negative due to low passenger volumes. The slow recovery of passenger volumes has a significant impact on Finavia's finances and, consequently, on the operation of regional airports. The data is available in Finavia's January–June 2023 business review.
Market news
- FREQUENTIS to ensure greater airspace safety and capacity for EUROCONTROL MUAC fallback operations - EUROCONTROL MUAC, one of the Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) of four EUROCONTROL member states – Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands –, selected Frequentis to provide its CWP as part of the MUAC fallback automation system. To ensure a high airspace capacity during fallback operations while maintaining safety levels, EUROCONTROL's primary CWP will be mirrored by the fallback system, enabling controller requirements to be met in a similar way.
Context information
- CANSO statement on flight disruption in the uk - Simon Hocquard, Director General, CANSO said:First and foremost, my thoughts are with those air passengers that have had their travel plans affected by this incident. Air Traffic Management organisations across the globe rely on a network of complex systems to safely maintain the separation of aircraft at all times. In the rare instances where a system fails, it can often be due to a seemingly small problem. Whenever a failure does occur the number one priority has to be, and is always safety.
Research and innovation
- SESAR Joint Undertaking - Making controller rostering more flexible - IFAV3 is a new SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking three years project whose main focus is to increase flexibility of air traffic controllers (ATCO) rostering in the upper airspace, and transfer the know-how about flexible ATCO endorsements from SESAR2020 to remote tower centres (RTCs). The project will be made reality thanks to the joint work of a consortium composed of 13 companies from 7 different countries, highly specialized in the field of aviation. The consortium will be guided by DLR – German Aerospace Center.
UAV and UTM
- FAA approves first commercial BVLOS operations in low level airspace by four drone operators - Unmanned airspace - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved commercial beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations for four companies: Phoenix Air Unmanned, uAvionix, UPS Flight Forward and Zipline, to conduct drone operations at 400ft or below, following a request for public input in June.
- EASA proposes rules for VTOL operations, including air taxis - The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has proposed rules for safe operations of Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft (VTOL), which includes air taxis, paving the way for these innovative aircraft to take to the skies in Europe’s cities.
- Transport Canada authorises IN-FLIGHT Data to operate drone swarms BVLOS for wildfires - Unmanned airspace - Transport Canada has authorized drone services company IN-FLIGHT Data to operate drone swarms beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) for fighting wildfires in Canada. This national authorisation allows for simultaneous drone operations up to 2,500 feet high, in Class F and Class G airspace, day or night.
