Airways International completes Norway simulation project

A fully remote installation of 12 air traffic control simulator sites throughout Norway is now complete, ending a complex eight-month project for Airways International Ltd (AIL) and Avinor during the global Covid-19 pandemic.

In what is believed to be a world first, AIL reinvented its TotalControl ATC simulator delivery process to remotely install and site test the suite of simulators for Avinor Air Navigation Services. The project’s scale of six large tower cabs (four with dedicated surveillance sims), six mobile simulators and 17 aerodrome environments, along with the tight timeframe was already a challenge. Overlaying Covid-19 border and travel restrictions created the right opportunity to adapt a reasonably standard sim commissioning process to be more dynamic, efficient and flexible, which increased feedback loops and collaboration between AIL and Avinor.

The AIL and Avinor teams worked thousands of kilometres apart during the project, creatively using technology to undertake remote factory acceptance testing of the simulators from New Zealand, and remote site acceptance testing led by Avinor in Norway.

“Working in this inventive way has not only resulted in a robust network of simulators, it has also brought the AIL and Avinor teams closer together. One benefit of this is the deep knowledge Avinor staff have already demonstrated in using TotalControl. They’ve hit the ground running,” says AIL CEO Sharon Cooke.

“We congratulate the Avinor team on this milestone – their air traffic controllers can now ramp up training ready for the post Covid-19 recovery. By embracing this challenge and incorporating new technologies, we are proud to deliver Avinor a practical and innovative solution, and we look forward to supporting other customers in this way,” Ms Cooke says.

“Avinor Air Navigation Services is pleased with the collaboration with Airways International, with 12 tower simulators now successfully installed across Norway,” says Anders Kirsebom, CEO of Avinor Air Navigation Services.

“We have achieved this together in a timely and cost-effective manner. Despite operating on the opposite sides of the globe, we have truly found an effective way of implementing new technology using digital tools and human ingenuity,” Mr Kirsebom says.

AIL signed the simulator contract with Avinor in May 2020.  A five-year contract for simulator licence, support and maintenance is also in place. The first tower simulator was installed and commissioned at Oslo Airport on 1 October 2020, and the final tower simulator went live at Stavanger Airport in Sola on 16 December. Since then, all remaining aerodrome environments have been built and commissioned to conclude the project. 

With Covid-19 presenting a significant disruption to the aviation industry, AIL quickly recognised that a new approach to simulator deliveries was needed. Its innovative, cost-effective remote installation solution enables air navigation service providers to continue their ATC training during lockdowns and travel restrictions.