Month: December 2024

Industry News

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to Use Aireon Data for Air Traffic Surveillance

The Civil Aviation Authority of Philippines (CAAP) has taken a major leap forward in safety and operational efficiency with the adoption of space-based air traffic surveillance data from Aireon.

Under an agreement signed today, CAAP will deploy Aireon’s space-based automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data for controlling and separating aircraft in the busy Manila Flight Information Region (FIR).

The Manila FIR, one of the largest in the region at nearly three million square kilometers, has seen a significant jump in regional and overseas traffic. The adoption of Aireon surveillance data will allow air traffic controllers to have unparalleled visibility of air traffic, which is particularly important over the ocean and in remote regions.

“Aireon’s space-based ADS-B data holds a great deal of promise for the CAAP to improve efficiency, increase safety and enhance environmental sustainability. We at Aireon are looking forward to partnering with the CAAP and to supporting their safety goals,” said Peter Cabooter, executive vice president, customer affairs at Aireon. 

With this critical step forward, Philippines now joins other regional aviation leaders such as Hong Kong Singapore, and India in opting to increase efficiency, improve safety and enhance sustainability with Aireon data. CAAP Director General Captain Manuel Antonio Tamayo highlighted the significance of the partnership, emphasizing that the adoption of the system will enhance the Philippines’ air traffic management capabilities substantially.

“The integration of Aireon’s space-based ADS-B technology marks a transformative step for Philippine aviation. It allows us to maintain the highest levels of safety while accommodating the increasing demand for air travel in our region,” he added.

FREQUENTIS and Avinor to Advance Automated Tower Operations Across Norway

Frequentis has been selected by Avinor AS, the state-owned operator of Norway’s airports and air navigation services, to modernize air traffic management at Oslo Airport, Norway’s largest, as well as up to 14 regional airports. The New Tower System Oslo (NeTSO) project will introduce state-of-the-art technology to enhance safety and efficiency, while preparing for future growth and ensuring European Common Project One compliance. 

Starting at the end of 2024, the program establishes the foundation for a long-term cooperation on all Norwegian tower installations. With a focus on scalability and efficiency, the solution enables Oslo Airport to prepare for future traffic scenarios and allows airports across Norway to handle future traffic volumes, ensuring cost-effectiveness and sustainability.

It will replace the legacy Advanced Surface Moving Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS) and Electronic Flight Strips (EFS) systems by providing air traffic controllers with an integrated solution that combines flight data, air and ground surveillance with a routing function, departure management (DMAN) and safety tools into a seamless, user-friendly, integrated controller working position. Future programme phases will also include remote tower capabilities, ensuring operations continue smoothly during contingency situations, and a potential additional remote third runway control. 

“Frequentis stood out with high standards across all key areas, from product quality to delivery and training. Their ability to meet our expectations in critical aspects highlights their dedication to delivering innovative and reliable solutions for Avinor,” said Abraham Foss, CEO of Avinor.

“We feel honored and fully committed to extending our strong long-term partnership with Avinor, which will continue to foster close cooperation and drive innovation to the mutual benefit of both companies,” said Norbert Haslacher, CEO Frequentis. “Our solution will help Avinor meet rising capacity demands in a unified and modern approach to tower operations nationwide while maintaining the highest safety standards.” 

The two companies say they have built a strong partnership since 2002, with Frequentis equipping Norway’s voice communication systems, arrival management (AMAN), aeronautical message handling system (AMHS) as well as tower systems.

Bus Shelters Vandalized in Atlanta, Georgia

Officials in Atlanta, Georgia say more than 100 bus shelters in the city were vandalized across the area and will have to be replaced. Most of the destruction took place on December 11 and 12.

The shelters were vandalized with graffiti, but can’t be washed off as well as others that had the structures’ wind shields smashed. The graffiti was painted with a liquid that etches the glass, meaning it can’t be removed and those shelters will need to be replaced as well.

Officials say thousands of dollars of damage was done and an investigation is underway.

Stowaway on Paris Flight Tries to Exit U. S. Via Bus

Svetlana Dali, who was found hiding without a boarding pass on a Delta Air Lines flight from New York’s JFK to Paris and later arrested for being a stowaway, tried to flee the U. S. after being caught and returned.

Dali was captured upon arrival in Paris on December 1 and eventually returned to the U. S. after creating a ruckus on two previous attempts to remand her and return her back to the U. S. She was placed under house arrest and fitted with an ankle monitor. Dali cut off the ankle monitor and boarded a bus bound for Canada, law enforcement officials say.

Dali was arrested and taken into custody while trying to sneak into Canada on board a Greyhound bus. Authorities were tipped off by her roommate, who reported her missing and saw her ankle monitor on the floor, authorities said.

Brooke Theodora, assistance U. S. attorney for Eastern District of New York said at her first court appearance in December, “We’re concerned for a risk of flight here rather than the nature of the offense.”

RTX’s Collins Aerospace Enables Disparate Network Communication to Expand Situational Awareness at Keen Sword

Collins Aerospace successfully demonstrated a new cross-domain networking capability to improve situational awareness for forces in the initial stages of a conflict. Collins enabled the relay of unclassified data from non-traditional sensors into a fires network in support of Marine Corps Command and Control objectives during exercise Keen Sword hosted by III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Non-traditional sensors including commercial nodes run on different networks than government systems, requiring data movement across machines to provide users an integrated view of key data. Collins automated the routing of data across different security classification levels and used satellite networks to provide a secure transport layer between the non-traditional sensors in a configuration that took less than an hour to set up and run.

“We must provide decision makers with the best information from any data source and rapidly reconfigure systems to support changing mission needs,” said Elaine Bitonti, vice president and general manager for the Connected Battlespace & Emerging Capabilities portfolio at Collins. “During the exercise, Collins enabled expeditionary machine to machine transfers of data to close decision chains quickly.”

Malaysia Goes Digital with Rohde & Schwarz State-of-the-Art ATC Solutions for KL Int’l. Airport

Rohde & Schwarz has been awarded a contract by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) to replace the existing radio infrastructure at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) with a cutting-edge, IP-based system. This significant upgrade will enhance the airport’s air traffic control (ATC) operations, ensuring seamless and reliable communication between air traffic controllers and pilots.

Under this project, Rohde & Schwarz, in collaboration with local Malaysian aviation company, Clearwisdom Sdn Bhd as the winning contractor for the project, will deliver a significant number of R&S Series5200 radios in a transmitter/receiver configuration, providing redundant and reliable communication for ATC operations. The system will be complemented by the R&S RCMS II remote monitoring and management system, which will be integrated into the existing infrastructure. All of these are part of CERTIUM, an advanced communications suite for ATC.

“This modernization marks a significant milestone for Malaysia, as KLIA transitions from traditional analog radios to a digital, IP-based system that is fully compliant with ED137 standards. Building on a long-standing trusted partnership, CAAM awards this complex project to Rohde & Schwarz based on the exceptional reliability and performance of Rohde & Schwarz over the last decades,” states Dato’ Captain Norazman Bin Mahmud, CEO of CAAM

“We are proud to have been selected by CAAM to modernize the KLIA radio communications system,” said Marius Münstermann, vice president market segment ATC at Rohde & Schwarz. “Our CERTIUM solution will provide a robust, future-proof platform for the authority’s ATC operations, ensuring the safety and efficiency of air traffic management.

“The key benefits of this upgrade include simplified maintenance and a secure-by-design approach, ensuring the highest levels of security and integrity for ATC operations,” he explained.

Road Rage Shooting Outside of Atlanta Airport

A suspected road rage incident at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport led to a shooting in which the suspect appeared to sideswiped another driver’s car and then shot at them several time, according to authorities.

The Atlanta police said officers were called to the airport’s South Terminal after getting reports of gunfire just before 2 p.m. Wednesday, December 11. The victim met the officers at the scene and explained that the incident took place just after they dropped off a client at the terminal’s lower level, police reported. The victim said the other driver became angry as they both tried to leave the airport, in an area where the lanes merged down to one. Then the suspect rammed the victims car and then began shooting at it. Minor injuries were reported.

The suspect was located shortly thereafter at a truck repair shop eight miles away.

Trade Route to Mozambique Shut by Protests

South Africa closed operations at its main border crossing with Mozambique on December 9 due to election-related protests. Angered by the result of the country’s Oct. 9 elections, Mozambique-based protesters blocked the route that can see 1,000 trucks pass through in a day en route to Maputo’s port. These protesters also forced authorities to shut two power plants and targeted other key infrastructure, reports say. The port is a key coal and chrome export hub.

The Lebombo border port of entry has halted operations for general cargo processing and passenger movements, South Africa’s Border Management Authority said in a statement Monday. “Transporters are urged not to dispatch new vehicles to the port until further notice,” Jane Thupana, acting commissioner at the authority, said.

The blockages at the crossing have escalated, as trucks were previously able to enter Mozambique after protests ended around 4 p.m. daily, local authorities said.

The closure is expected to cost South Africa 10 million rand ($562,822) a day, according to the Road Freight Association.

Five Killed in Fuel Depot Explosion

An explosion at an ENI fuel depot located just north of Florence, Italy sent a large plume of smoke into the sky. Witnesses in the area reported a large bang and tremors. The blast happened on December 9 and caused the collapse of a building that housed offices, injuring 14 people, according to Eugenio Giani, Tuscany’s governor. Two of those were in critical condition.

Residents were initially advised to keep their windows closed, but environmental officials later determined that the air quality was safe. The smoke temporarily interrupted regional train services.

The cause of the blast in the town of Calenzano is under investigation. The flames were contained, which prevented the fire from spreading to storage tanks from the loading dock area where the explosion occurred.

FAA Extends Flight Restrictions to Haiti

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that it will extend flight restrictions on U. S. airlines operating in Haitian airspace until at least March 12, 2025. This latest extension of the ban on flights was announced on December 11, 2024. The extension comes after an ongoing series of violent events at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince. Flights there were restricted for most of November to commercial flights because of an increase in gang violence.

In November, a number of commercial aircraft, including those operated by Spirit Airlines, JetBlue and American Airlines were hit by gunfire as they were getting ready to land at the airport. The additional flight limitations were implemented immediately after that. There were no fatalities but the attacks raised significant safety issues and following the injury of a flight attendant aboard a Spirit Airlines aircraft, the FAA initially banned U. S. airlines from flying to Haiti for 30 days. This restriction has since been extended.

Haiti’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince officially reopened for commercial flights on December 11th, but the country’s transportation and travel sectors have been severely disrupted by violence in the capital. The airport was closed for about a month.