15 July 2022Spain
  • Each year ATCA (the Air Traffic Control Association) and CANSO (the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation) present the Maverick Awards for outstanding achievements in innovation, collaboration, resiliency, and sustainability in air traffic management (ATM)
  • The 2022 Maverick Resiliency Award goes to HungaroControl and technology partner Indra for the innovative use of digital remote tower technologies at Budapest Ferenc Liszt Airport when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its height
  • To ensure business continuity, the remote contingency center was used to control operations at Budapest airport during the day – keeping the air traffic controllers physically separated from the night shift working from the physical tower
  • Indra’s InNOVA system for ground surveillance and air traffic management was used by air traffic controllers at both locations
     
Remote tower

HungaroControl’s innovative use of digital technologies has resulted in the Maverick Resiliency Award 2022 for the Hungarian air navigation service provider and technology partner Indra, a leading global technological engineering company for the aerospace, defence and mobility sectors.

As the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in 2020, the provision of safe and efficient air traffic management services was at risk. To minimize the threat of COVID-19 being spread across teams of air traffic controllers, HungaroControl split the controllers into three teams. The night shift worked from the physical tower, whilst the day shift worked remotely from the contingency center. A third team was kept stand-by at home.  

HungaroControl uses Indra’s InNOVA system at both locations for ground surveillance and air traffic management, making all relevant information is available to the air traffic controllers at both sites. 

HungaroControl’s application of remote tower technologies to ensure business continuity during a global pandemic, demonstrates how air navigation service providers can benefit from remote tower operations to ensure resilience. 

Indra’s InNOVA Tower System was honored with the Jane’s ATC Runway Award in 2019, 2018, and 2017. The multiple awards underline Indra’s ability to convert customer needs into innovative and reliable solutions. 

About Indra
Indra (www.indracompany.com) is one of the leading global technology and consulting companies and the technological partner for core business operations of its customers worldwide. It is a world-leader in providing proprietary solutions in specific segments in Transport and Defence markets, and a leading firm in Digital Transformation and Information Technologies in Spain and Latin America through its affiliate Minsait. Its business model is based on a comprehensive range of proprietary products, with a high-value, end-to-end focus and with a high innovation component. In the 2021 financial year, Indra achieved revenue of €3.390 billion, with over 52,000 employees, a local presence in 46 countries and business operations in over 140 countries.

About HungaroControl

HungaroControl, the Hungarian air navigation service provider (ANSP), provides air navigation services in Hungarian airspace and - on a NATO assignment – in the upper airspace over Kosovo, trains air traffic control personnel and conducts air navigation research and development. In recent years, the company has been making ground-breaking efforts in leading and supporting innovation to improve flight safety, increase capacity, reduce airline costs, and enhance environmental protection. Introducing Hungarian Free-Route Airspace, implementing Controller Pilot Data-Link Communication, demonstrating a unique Remote Tower solution and providing ATC services in the upper airspace over Kosovo, are just some of our key achievements.
 

Download image
- 1.24 MB
Share