The US Federal Aviation Administration has selected ARINC and Lockheed Martin as finalists in the competition for its oceanic air traffic management modernisation programme. Diversified International Sciences has been eliminated from the competition.
The US aviation agency's objectives in the Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP) acquisition is to modernise its oceanic air traffic control system using commercial off-the-shelf equipment that would be installed in air route traffic control centres at Oakland in California, Anchorage in Alaska and in New York.
FAA officials say ATOP is required to cut delays and cope with the traffic growth anticipated by 2003.
ARINC is offering its Global Communications and Advanced Tracking system, which is based on the Australian Advanced Air Traffic System.
The ARINC team includes Airservices Australia, Airsys ATM Australia, Harris and Sensis.
Lockheed Martin is teamed with Adacel Technologies and Airways New Zealand.
Adacel Technologies' Datapath oceanic air traffic management system is operational in New Zealand. The system will also become operational in Portugal and Iceland in the near future.
The next stage of the competition is ATOP operational testing for US controllers.
Source: Flight International
