The European Commission is to widen the use of its satellite navigation air traffic management (ATM) aids to North Africa. Following the first EuroMediterranean Global Satellite Navigation Systems (GNSS) seminar in Cairo last month, the EC says it has established partnerships with a series of prospective local service providers for ATM systems linked with its Galileo GNSS.
European Satellite Services Provider (ESSP) was established last April by air traffic service providers from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the UK, to integrate European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) technology into ATM systems. It expects to be named the systems integrator for the planned ATM services using signals from EGNOS.
ESSP sales director Ashley Lyon expects the selection of service providers to be complete by April 2004, after which the company will define the integration of EGNOS into existing ATM systems using the US GNSS global positioning system.
A prototype, the EGNOS System Test Bed, has been broadcasting a signal in space since February 2000 and has supported and tested the development of the EGNOS system.
Source: Flight International
