EMMA KELLY / LONDON
A European aerospace industry team has completed the first phase in a European Commission-funded programme aimed at demonstrating the benefits of advanced surface movement guidance and control systems (A-SMGCS) at major airports.
The three-year Benefit Evaluation by Testing A-SMCGS (BETA) research project involves 17 organisations, including Park Air Systems' NOVA division in Norway as system integrator and main industry partner; aerospace research organisations DLR of Germany, the Netherlands' NLR and Qinetiq of the UK; German air traffic control provider DFS; Germany's Hamburg airport and the Czech Republic's Prague Ruzyne International Airport; and airline partners British Airways and CSA Czech Airlines.
The first phase was intended to identify user benefits from a full-scale operational implementation of A-SMGCS. Surveillance data is used from five different sensor systems - approach surveillance radar, two types of surface movement radar, Mode-S multilateration and automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast - to show controllers the airport surface and surrounding airspace. The trial involved new controller positions, incorporating electronic flight strips and clearance delivery by digital data link, with Park's runway incursion monitoring and conflict alert subsystem notifying controllers of a potentially hazardous situation.
The programme has already demonstrated the benefits of improved situational awareness, the potential to reduce disruption and maintain throughput in poor visibility, and environmental benefits, says Park.
Development work has started for phase two which will involve improvements to human-machine interfaces and operational procedures, the addition of new taxi routeings, departure sequencing and route deviation alerting features. Testing at Prague starts in June, followed by Hamburg in September, says Park.
The project is part of European efforts to improve runway safety after a similar focus in the USA. BETA results will be used to support the development of A-SMGCS standards.
Source: Flight International
