Thales to supply ADS-B Network in New Zealand

Thales has been selected by Airways New Zealand, New Zealand’s air navigation service provider (ANSP) which monitors all air traffic in the country, for the supply of a nationwide ADS-B network.

The contract has been awarded following an international tender and a set of trials. The ADS-B network Thales will supply, will include 28 locations equipped with Ground Stations to ensure full air traffic surveillance in areas with limited radar coverage, such as Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne and much of the South Island’s west coast.

Airways New Zealand is ranked in the top 5% of the most efficient ANSPs in the world. They have recently deployed a number of improvements that have reduced in-flight delays from three minutes to less than 23 seconds, successfully saving $16 million per annum in airline fuel. These successes come in the face of significant growth in passenger numbers in the country, which is expected to surpass 4.5 million annually by 2022. As a result, Airways New Zealand has identified ADS-B technology as essential to maintain operational excellence. In addition to optimising air traffic by safely reducing aircraft separation, ADS-B technology will help reduce CO₂ emission, a very important Government policy in New Zealand.

Airways New Zealand chief operating officer Pauline Lamb said: “The network will provide a more detailed picture of our airspace than is currently possible with radar”.