Julian Moxon/PARIS
FINLAND AND SWEDEN are facing major delays in the introduction of their pioneering new air-traffic-control (ATC) systems, because of serious software-development problems being experienced by prime contractor Siemens Plessey.
Both countries are upgrading their ATC centres (ATCCs) in line with the latest Eurocontrol European harmonisation standards, and aim to be among the first in the world with fully "paperless" systems. Industry sources say that Hungary, which is installing a similar system, is also "in sensitive negotiations" on possible delays.
Achievement of some of the performance targets is threatened by difficulties over what Siemens Plessey describes as "extremely challenging" requirements associated with the open-architecture software design inherent in the three system specifications.
Finland and Sweden are looking at a delay of at least two years, although one source says that delivery of the Finnish system may be up to four years late. The delays are forcing both administrations to invest extra cash and manpower resources in their existing equipment, to extend their lifetime.
There is some frustration at what one source in the Swedish civil aviation authority says is a "total underestimation" of the task of meeting the specifications for a modern, open-architecture, operational requirement.
Siemens Plessey based all three offers around its Controller 2000 system, consisting of off-the-shelf modules tailored to each requirement. "We understand that Controller 2000 never really existed in terms of software", says one source.
The £40 million ($66 million) Swedish ATCC contract was awarded in September 1994, with completion due 18 months later, providing for installation of a brand new air-traffic-management (ATM) system. Siemens Plessey has told the Swedish CAA that it will come up with an "alternative" solution to the problems by the end of August. "We may have to find a common solution to reduce the complexity of the system," says programme manager Bo Redeborn. A further six-month delay on top of the existing 18 months is likely, he adds.
Finland's £20 million ATCC agreement was signed in 1992, with the opening of the main, southern, component of the new national air-traffic-services centre due this year. The southern flight-information region (FIR) handles 90% of the country's traffic and its completion, according to a senior Finnish ATC manager, will be delayed "at least two years".
The delay means that the contract will now probably be extended to include the northern FIR as well. "The problem seems to be that companies have problems with a very demanding application and with adjusting to constantly changing technology," he says.
Other major ATCC contracts have also experienced severe delays in recent years, the most notable being the USA's $3.6 billion Advanced Automation System, which is at least six years late, with costs now expected to exceed $7 billion. Canada, the UK and several other European countries have had similar problems.
"What we're looking at is the inability of a single supplier to handle the complex specifications arising out of the need to meet the demands of air-traffic growth in the next century," says one source.
Siemens Plessey's ATM marketing manager, Martin Peachey, admits that the three European ATCC programmes have "slipped", but insists that the tough performance targets will be met. "We're in discussion with each customer with the objective of leaving them with world-beating systems," he says, claiming that the effort now being mounted to solve the software problems will leave Europe with a "considerable" lead in ATM integration. "But we need to be more closely involved with Euro-control, so that the risk can be reduced before the specifications are formulated," he says.
Eurocontrol has been developing new ATC tools to improve the controller-system interface, including its operational display and input development technology. Some complain that industry has taken little notice until recently of Eurocontrol's achievements, however. "All that is changing," says one source. "People are realising that Euro-control has achieved a lot in the last few years."
Source: Flight International
