Indra's technology started management of germany's upper air space

DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH (DFS), Germany's air navigation services provider, announced on January 31, 2011, that the Karlsruhe upper area control centre concluded successfully the initial operating phase, started on 11th December 2010, of the new P1/VAFORIT air traffic management system whose implementation was led by Indra.

With this milestone, Germany's upper air space will be managed with Indra's technology. The system is distinguished by its compliance with trajectory-based management. This new model offers more flexibility to air lines in choosing the most adequate route according to destination which reduces flight time, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

This way, Indra becomes the first European company to implement a system of this type which places the company ahead the rest of its counterparts.

Indra previously gained a favourable position as compared to its competitors in 2008 after successfully completing the first flight data processing system (FDPs) with flexible traffic management technology in Maastricht control centre run by Eurocontrol. This system is a key element for a trajectory-based management system.

After this achievement, the company takes a new step forward with the leadership of a complete avant-garde air traffic management project based on 4D-trajectory-predicion (3D + Time) . Besides this, the implementation will take place in one of the busiest control centres of the continent (1.3 million flights in 2009).

Karlsruhe control centre manages most of the en-route traffic which flies over Germany. The rest of the country's air space is also managed with Indra's systems. The company implemented its flight plan management system in the lower air space and approach control centres as well as Maastricht multinational control centre which covers the Northeast area of the country.

The implementation of the P1/VAFORIT system is within the context of iTEC (interoperability Through European Collaboration) programme that brings together the DFS and its UK and Spanish counterparts, NATS and AENA, with Indra as its technology partner. This programme seeks progress in the development of interoperable air traffic management systems in order to improve air traffic management among different countries. It also complies with the objectives established by the European Single Sky project. P1/VAFORIT is the first instance of a new generation of 4D-trajectory-based DFS ATS systems called iCAS (iTEC Center Automation System).

In fact, trajectory-based management systems are the core of the European Single Sky project as it will provide data about the planned four-dimensional flight path of all flights concerned to the control centres of the continent. This will help air traffic controllers solve possible conflicts between aircrafts in advance and will make flight planning more accurate thus improving punctuality and reducing flight cancellations.

This technology allows Indra to commercialise these advanced systems in other countries. Last year, the company was awarded an ambitious project to modernise Oman's air traffic management systems. The modernisation project will incorporate the above-mentioned features.

A highly automated system

One of the most important aspects during the implementation of P1/VAFORIT system was the user interface. The interface was carefully designed to automate manual work, and for allowing the stripless concept of operation. The final objective is that air traffic controllers can make the optimum use of the new technology.

Indra

Indra is the premier Information Technology company in Spain and a leading IT multinational in Europe and Latin America. It is ranked as the second European company in its sector according to investment in R&D with nearly € 500 M during the last three years. The company employs more than 30,000 professionals and has clients in more than 100 countries.