Weekly review #40 - March 18th

Dear Subscribers,

My first thoughts in this difficult time are for you and your relatives. I wish you all well and to stay healthy. This has to be our main concern at this moment. "Safety first" is the golden rule of aviation - let us apply it together, go through the hard part together and recover together, once this health crisis is over.

Vincent

Do you remember how EUROCONTROL were preparing mitigation measures to ensure the European network's readiness for summer storms? Hard to believe this was six weeks ago. The crisis hitting aviation is unprecedented and its duration is hard to predict. The Icelandic volcano didn't have such a global reach. The financial crisis in 2008 wasn't such a brutal stop and even 9/11 didn't have the same effect on the aviation industry. Six weeks on and now airport reports for the number of passengers is down by 30% and more, borders are closed to international traffic and airlines are shutting down their operations for unknown times, at least weeks. This is unprecedented and if the long term forecasts are for traffic growth, the short and medium term are unclear. Will there be consolidations? Will the business and operating models change? Don't hesitate to share your thoughts and hindsights with us... The times are changing and you can count on us to keep you best informed.

• PANSA to maintain 24/7 services at all Polish airports despite international flight ban - In connection with the decision of the Polish Government to temporarily suspend international flights in Poland because of the Corona virus, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency informs that air traffic services at all Polish airports will be provided 24/7, and safety in Polish airspace will be maintained at the highest level.

• AARONIA drone detection system deployed at London Heathrow - This drone detection system uses radio-frequency detection to locate drones.
• HungaroControl introduces SkyHub as the brand to provide services to the industry - HungaroControl provides the following services under the SkyHub umbrella: HMI experimental design and validation • HMI software ergonomic analysis and design • Airspace design • Fast-time simulation • Real-time simulation • Simulation impact assessment • Human factors assessment • ATCO training
• LVNL successfully tests their new Indra Navia VCS
• SITTI extends AFIS in Brazil - With the objective of expanding and enhancing the remote AFIS applications provided by 10 centres, a significant number of stations will be provided with “MultiFunctional Terminals” developed by SITTI.
• SITTI provides deployable radio communication systems to Italian Air Force - The Italian Air Force's second RTC (Technical Communications Department) in Bari Palese has been provided by SITTI with a new deployable systems radio communication system, ready to be utilised in all theatres, when Italy is involved in operations outside the national borders.
• FREQUENTIS acquires 51% of ATRiCS - FREQUENTIS continues its strategy of growth by acquisitions by buying a 51% share of ATRiCS.

• ACI press review - prediction of Covid-19 effects - ACI predictions of the impact of the Corona virus and plea for a case-by-case revision of the airport slots rules, instead of a blanket solution
• ACI on the Corona virus and airport slots rule waiver by EU - Read ACI predictions on the impact of the Corona virus but also how the organisation sees the waiver on airport slots: making things harder for airports on short term but likely better in the long term as airlines will survive.

• IAA monthly traffic February 2020 - The first signs of traffic decline are visible in the report by the Irish ANSP, especially in the en-route (-6%) and oceanic (-3.9). All before the real impact of the Corona virus.
• EUROCONTROL CNS overview - EUROCONTROL is launching a new communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS) infrastructure overview panel with simple, accurate and interactive data on key infrastructure performance metrics from across the European air traffic management (ATM) network.

• Space-based ADS-B form Spire is available to FlightRadar24 users - FightRadar24 now offers space-based ADS-B from Spire to all users. This improves detection oceanic area but also in places where the ground network is less dense.

• DSNA selects Altitude Angel for a pre-operational UTM system - French ANSP DSNA to take part in a nationwide, U-space pre-operational program.
• Airmap UTM for DSNA at Cannes and Nice airports - AirMap is partnering with DSNA to provide pre-operational U-space services to the Nice and Cannes airports. The U-space Together Program aims to deploy a fully operational U-space system in France by 2023.
• EASA U-Space opinion - The objective of this Opinion is to create and harmonise the necessary conditions for manned and unmanned aircraft to operate safely in the U-space airspace, to prevent collisions between aircraft and to mitigate the air and ground risks. Therefore, the U-space regulatory framework, supported by clear and simple rules, should permit safe aircraft operations in all areas and for all types of unmanned operations.
• Skyguide and AirMap introduce a new special flights and UAS flights authorization system - Together, skyguide and AirMap implemented a flexible and intelligent digital authorisation workflow solution that streamlines, digitises, and automates airspace authorisation requests for drones and other special flights. The solution alleviates administrative burden and makes it quicker, easier, and safer for UAS and other special flights to access controlled airspace.