Airservices Australia, the Air Navigation Service Provider for Australia, has commissioned into service the first two Integrated Tower Automation Suites (INTAS) provided by Saab Sensis and NAV CANADA and installed at Broome and Rockhampton Airports.
INTAS, based on NAVCANatm technology and modified to meet the needs of Airservices Australia’s National Towers Program (NTP), is a fully harmonized suite of air traffic control (ATC) tools that is currently being installed in four towers in Australia. Starting with Broome and Rockhampton, Airservices controllers will have a common set of key ATC tools in a single customizable platform for efficient, safe management of air traffic.
Airservices Australia’s NTP initiative is modernizing or replacing the core ATC technology in its towers with a universal, flexible solution that meets current and future controller needs for safe, efficient operation. Saab Sensis, along with partners NAV CANADA and Harris have developed and are deploying INTAS. NAV CANADA provided a modified version of its NAVCANsuite, while Harris supplied the voice communications system.
The INTAS architecture supports any tower position (local, ground, clearance or supervisor) and is fully scalable to any size tower (from small regional airports such as Broome and Rockhampton to Australia’s major international hubs).
"INTAS provides us with a common, modern ATC platform for streamlined operations, training and maintenance," said Airservices Executive General Manager Air Traffic Control, Jason Harfield. "Our controllers played a critical role in the development of INTAS as they provided input, feedback and refinements along the entire design path to ensure the new system met current operating requirements with minimal retraining."
Saab Sensis’ INTAS is comprised of a Controller Working Position with up to four touchscreen monitors to display data and common input devices based on the airport. The system integrates:
– Electronic Flight Strips
– Operational Data Management (monitoring and control of airfield ground lighting, navigational aids, weather and other related systems)
– Digital – Automatic Terminal Information Services (enabling controllers to construct the terminal information services messages)
– Voice Communication Control System
– Electronic Surveillance System (integrated terminal and surface surveillance on a common display)
"With INTAS, Airservices Australia controllers now have a fully integrated ‘glass tower’ to more efficiently manage air traffic," said Ken Kaminski, senior vice president of Saab Sensis. "INTAS embraces currently-fielded modern ATC tools and seamlessly integrates them into a dynamic system that is flexible, scalable and adaptable to tomorrow’s needs."
"We are pleased to be a part of this technology development project, working with Saab Sensis and our air navigation service colleagues in Australia," said Sid Koslow, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at NAV CANADA. "The NAVCANatm suite is proven, trusted and applied around the world, and this is a major step forward, demonstrating the adaptability of the technology to a wide variety of operational environments."
Broome Airport is a regional airport that experiences an increase in air travel during their tourist season. The ATC tower utilizes two positions (surface movement controller and aerodrome controller) and during slow periods, the positions are combined by INTAS, including radio frequencies, and the flight information presentation is automatically reconfigured.
Rockhampton Airport is a regional airport that hosts several annual Australian and international air force training events. The INTAS deployment has features specifically implemented to support the military training flights. The two ATC positions (surface movement controller and aerodrome controller) are combined and automatically reconfigured by INTAS for slower times.
In addition to Broome and Rockhampton, Saab Sensis is currently fielding INTAS at Adelaide and Melbourne Airports.
Saab Sensis provides the defense and aviation markets with advanced sensor technologies, next-generation radars, automation, modeling and simulation solutions. The company serves military, civil aviation, airport and airline customers in more than 35 countries across six continents.