Fiji Airports, has collaborated with Adacel – a provider of advanced air traffic management (ATM) and air traffic control (ATC) simulation and training systems – have commissioned the new Aurora ATM for surveillance control in Fiji’s domestic airspace.
The airport group, which owns and manages Nadi International Airport, as well as managing the Nausori International Airport and 13 other outer island airports, has been working with Adacel for more than a decade.
In addition to modernising Fiji Airports’ ATM system and providing air traffic controllers with the latest ATM technology, the new Aurora also delivers a complete technical refresh of the system for controllers at the Nadi ATM Centre and Nadi and Nausori towers. Controllers now have advanced tools and capabilities for all traffic domains including new Human-Machine Interface for quick flight plan creation, clearance delivery and coordination as well as optimised electronic flight strips in the towers.
“Deploying a new system with major new capabilities is a challenge on its own; successfully implementing it during a global pandemic is absolutely remarkable,” said Daniel Verret, Adacel’s CEO, referencing the new Aurora ATM system, which integrates oceanic, approach, and tower control capabilities and includes a new simulator to train air traffic controllers in and ADS-B surveillance environment.
The new Aurora integrates industry-leading procedural airspace management with the functionalities and tools needed to manage traffic in a surveillance environment.
“It is a significant milestone for Fiji Airports to make this historic ATM transition during the COVID-19 pandemic. While there was great pressure and valid need to cut costs across most entities in the aviation industry, Fiji Airports persevered with our previous commitment to continue personnel training and upskilling of our people through the implementation of the new Aurora ATM system,” said Fiji Airports Chairman, Geoffrey Shaw.
Unique 4D-profile conflict detection capabilities combined with progressive surveillance-data safety nets ensure system safety. Tower controller working positions are fully integrated into the system and provide optimised electronic flight strips for multiple users.
“This modernises our ATM system and provides air traffic controllers with the latest ATM technology including electronic flight strips, advanced flight and surveillance data processing and training capabilities. It is one of the world’s best ATM systems for managing procedural control in Oceanic Airspace integrated with the capabilities and tools needed to manage traffic in the domestic environment. This approach allows for optimal fuel-efficient routing in the procedural environment with reduced separation minima for airspace efficiency and gives controllers the tools they need to provide ADS-B based surveillance in en route and approach phases of flight,” continued Shaw.
