Eurocontrol is running a pre-operational trial of the medium-term conflict detection (MTCD) system for air traffic controllers at the Rome area control centre. An advance on the short-term conflict alert system that gives up to 2min warning of conflict, the MTCD enables controllers to look up to 15min ahead.
The Rome trials, conducted with Italian air traffic services provider ENAV in the Milan East and Milan West sectors above flight level 295 (29,500ft/9,000m), are aimed at evaluating controller roles and working methods and identifying system improvements, says Eurocontrol. This is an advance of the first set of MTCD trials at Malmo, Sweden, says project manager Chris Brain. In Malmo the trial controllers shadowed the operational controllers, but in Rome the trial staff are operating for some of the time with the operational controllers on the adjacent workstation backing them up.
The MTCD tool receives processed flight plan and track data from the Rome centre, including the latest clearances entered by the ENAV controllers into their electronic flight progress strip system.
Source: Flight International
