Upgrade for Australia's national air traffic control towers

New towers to be built in Melbourne, Adelaide and Rockhampton will be the first to receive the state-ofthe- art equipment. The equipment display adopts the glass cockpit concept of modern jet aircraft, featuring customisable touch screens to provide information and allow controllers to perform operational tasks. The system combines flight and operational data, surveillance and voice communications into a single integrated, tower-specific layout. It will replace manual systems dating back to the construction of many towers, in some cases as much as 40 years ago. Airservices has appointed a consortium of Sensis Corporation (US) and NAV CANADA, Canadas air navigation services provider (ANSP), to project manage, install and support the technology. The consortium will also provide system design, integration testing and training. Airservices CEO Greg Russell said the upgrade was critical to ensure the nations ANSP could meet its obligations to provide safe, efficient air traffic operations well into the future. We are determined to invest in our infrastructure to ensure Airservices is well positioned to maintain its reputation as a world-leader in the provision of air navigation services. Providing our controllers with the equipment to make immediate use of all available data and enhance their awareness and control of airport ground operations and those in the surrounding airspace is a key part of that plan, Mr Russell said. The system will provide each tower controller with up to four screens displaying electronic flight strips, operational information, weather, terminal area and where available surface surveillance (radar) data. They will also be able to control functions including airport ground lighting from the same console. New training consoles will also be installed at the Airservices Learning Academy in Melbourne, where Australias next-generation air traffic controllers receive intensive and ongoing training. The new equipment will be progressively rolled out to all of Australias 26 air traffic control towers run by Airservices as they are refurbished or rebuilt in coming years.