NATS Introduces New Oceanic ATM with Canadian Technology

NATS new SAATS (Shanwick automated air traffic system) is now operational at Prestwick, Scotland, and is working in coordination with its related Nav Canada GAATS (Gander automated air traffic system) to control air traffic across the North Atlantic.

More than 1,000 flights a day use this busy oceanic airspace, and are now tracked by GAATS and SAATS from the edge of the North American continent to the shores of Europe.

Both ANSPs (air navigation service providers) see this milestone as the result of a successful partnership between Nav Canada and the U.K.'s NATS (formerly National Air Traffic Services) and their respective countries.  Canadian engineers and software designers worked along with their NATS counterparts over a four-year period to bring SAATS online.

The software in both systems provides controllers with a graphical "moving picture" of air traffic despite the absence of radar in oceanic airspace, which can be based on ADS (automatic dependent surveillance) position data from equipped aircraft.  In addition, one of the most significant improvements of the system is its ability to allow controllers and pilots to use CPDLC (controller-pilot datalink communications) to communicate directly over the entire Atlantic - again with aircraft that are appropriately equipped.

The NATS-Nav Canada partnership was the result of an agreement reached between them in late 2002.  A team of up to 36 technical and operational experts from Canada and the U.K. worked collaboratively on modifying the system to meet the technical and operational requirements for Prestwick.  Ian Mills, who directed the program for NATS, called the project the "most complex" since the London Area Control Centre went live in 2002.

Still, "Working cooperatively on projects such as this allows for more timely development and deployment of new systems," said Sid Koslow, a Nav Canada vice president and its chief technology officer. "With this 'build once - use twice' approach to technology development, we avoid re-inventing the wheel and help keep our system-wide costs down," Mr. Koslow said.

Electronic Flight Strips

NATS has also implemented Nav Canada's EXCDS (extended computer display system) in several of its control towers.  EXCDS, which is in use at London's Stansted, Gatwick and Luton airports, allows controllers to manage flight data electronically, thereby eliminating the need for paper flight strips.  t will be deployed at Heathrow in 2007.  02-28-2007.

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