Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) has tasked Frequentis with upgrading its existing voice communication system (VCS) and modernise its air traffic control (ATC) tower operation.
The collaboration will help the airport meet air traffic demand resulting from the World Cup being held in the country later this year. A major fixture on the sporting calendar, the football World Cup will significantly increase passenger traffic to the region, with daily air traffic movements expected to increase from 700 to 1800 movements.
To help manage this increase in air traffic, QCAA is upgrading both its main and back VCS systems to enhance airport operations and maintain safety as airspace demands change. The back-up VCS will benefit from Frequentis’ next-gen VCX X10 to increase resilience. In addition, QCAA will also implement Frequentis electronic flight strips in the ATC tower to support air traffic controllers with effectively managing the increased workload and maintaining safety during peak air traffic movements.
Josef Kutschi, Managing Director Frequentis Middle East, commented: “Frequentis has provided QCAA with reliable ATM systems since the 1990s. Our electronic Flight Strips integrated with the ATM system marks the generation of tower automation, which will allow QCAA to handle the expected, significant air traffic increase.”
Both the digitalisation of paper strips and the implementation of the IT-based VCX X10 optimise the latest demands for tower digitalisation, paving the way for automation and efficiency, improving controllers’ situational awareness and workflows.
Designed to fullfill the latest trend towards Virtual Centre operations and, being fully ED-137 compliant, the VCS X10 fully supports the digitalisation of ATC communication and the standardised implementation and interoperability of voice over IP (VoIP). The Frequentis smartSTRIPS system is already deployed on five continents, covering installations from two to more than 90 controller working positions.
Hannu Juurakko, Frequentis VP ATM and Chairman of the ATM Executive Team concluded: “The X10 architecture allows for a flexible, scalable and modern approach to air traffic management and smartSTRIPS is an essential tool to support controllers in their challenging role.”
