FAA Implements ATOP for Oceanic Routes at Anchorage Center

The FAA has implemented ATOP (advanced technologies and oceanic procedures) at Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center, the last U.S. oceanic control facility to get the technology, after Oakland and New York.

ATOP technology substantially improves a controllers' ability to handle requests for more efficient tracks over long oceanic routes by giving them more timely and accurate information about pertinent airplanes with ADS (automatic dependent surveillance) position reports, and direct satellite datalink communications.  It also lessens their workload by replacing the paper strips to keep track of flights, with updated information on electronic displays.

The FAA says these improvements will eventually enable reduced horizontal separation between aircraft from 100 nautical miles to 30, which in turn should improve efficiency by allowing more aircraft to fly their preferred routes and altitudes. During one 12-month period since the system went operational at the New York center, for example, ATOP allowed controllers to grant 90 percent more altitude change requests. Capacity also can be increased by allowing more airplanes to fly in a given unit of airspace.

One analysis of oceanic flights between the U.S. and the Caribbean Islands and South America estimated that ATOP saves airlines nearly 6.5 million pounds of fuel, according to its developer Lockheed Martin.

The FAA awarded Lockheed the ATOP contract in June 2001.  Lockheed partners also played important roles: Adacel supplied its oceanic automation software, and Airways Corporation of New Zealand helped with its expertise in CNS/ATM (communications, navigation, surveillance and air traffic management) oceanic technology. Sunhillo Corporation provided the communications server that accesses needed external data interfaces.  04-04-2007.

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