CERTIUM Locate from Rohde & Schwarz enhances air traffic control efficiency and safety over Hungary

Rohde & Schwarz and HungaroControl, the national air navigation service provider of Hungary, jointly announced during the CANSO Airspace World even, that they successfully implemented CERTIUM Locate nationwide. This cutting-edge technology, developed by Rohde & Schwarz, ensures comprehensive coverage above 10,000 feet in the airspace of Hungary by automatically identifying and pinpointing calling aircraft on the air traffic controller’s radar screen. The benefits are intuitive call sign identification on the screen, avoidance of confusion, increased situational awareness and improved user experience and confidence.

The deployed CERTIUM Locate system comprises ATC direction finders strategically placed across the country for optimal functionality. Central components such as administration consoles and allocation servers calculate the exact position of the calling aircraft in almost real-time and provide it via the Asterix interface seamlessly to the radar screen.

To ensure minimum environmental impact and maximum cost efficiency while achieving seamless coverage, the direction finding (DF) sites were installed on top of existing telecommunication towers. This innovative approach allowed for a simplified roll-out process, as base station towers are readily available across the country and the top part of the masts is typically vacant and ideal for direction finder antennas. To further enhance the system’s effectiveness, eleven ATC VHF radio sites were connected to the location server to suppress ground station radio transmissions on the operators' radar screens.

László Tóth, CEO of HungaroControl, expressed his satisfaction with the CERTIUM Locate system, stating: "During peak times, this advanced technology significantly improves our controllers' work efficiency and enhances overall safety."

Barnabás Kis, CTO of HungaroControl, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the positive feedback received from users on the intuitive use and the increased situational awareness.

The nationwide implementation of the CERTIUM Locate system marks a significant milestone for HungaroControl and the aviation sector in Hungary. The system's swift execution, coupled with its numerous benefits, including increased efficiency and enhanced safety, has solidified its role as an innovator in air traffic management. Given the recent surge in air traffic volumes in South-Eastern Europe, other ANSPs in the region or in other parts of Europe with dense airspace can benefit from HungaroControl’s experience.