Initial delays for some peak hour traffic using UK airspace are expected to be the only noticeable effect of the long-awaited 27 January hand-over of en-route air traffic control to the new air traffic control (ATC) centre at Swanwick, according to National Air Traffic Services (NATS). The fact that Europe's ATC Centres will have activated reduced vertical separation minima (RVSM) just three days earlier will not affect the transition, according to NATS chief operating officer Colin Chisholm.
Controversy has surrounded the New En Route Centre (NERC) - based at Swanwick near Southampton - mainly because the sophisticated Lockheed Martin software has taken far longer to meet specifications than promised. Originally slated by NATS to go operational in 1996, each successive delay was self-perpetuating as software capabilities increased and improvements were incorporated.
NATS accepted the centre as ready for operation on 20 December 2001, and has since been training controllers and putting the systems through their paces.
The transition of en-route ATC functions from the present London Area and Terminal Control Centre at West Drayton near London Heathrow airport to the NERC will begin in stages starting at 1400h on 26 January to be completed by 03.00h on 27 January. The first operational voice transmission from Swanwick will occur at around 02.30h, says Chisholm.
He says that to ensure controllers have time to "bed in" with the new system under full operational conditions, maximum traffic capacity will be planned at 30% below the levels expected in the high season, and this provision will extend for up to eight weeks if necessary.
Traffic levels are so low at this time of the year that no delay is expected for most of each day, he adds. During peak hours, however, there may be "some delay", although this may be avoided by normal tactical controlling measures such as re-routeing.
Both centres will be manned simultaneously with a full watch of controllers throughout the transfer, and reversion to West Drayton will be possible, says Chisholm. After 36h of operation, Swanwick will be expected to handle whatever goes wrong.
Source: Flight International
