Intelligent Approach now fully incorporated in Indra ATM systems to increase capacity at high traffic volume airports

Indra's ManagAir air traffic management system, one of the most widely used in control centres and airports around the world, now incorporates the NATS and Leidos developed Intelligent Approach system.

Intelligent Approach has been deployed at some of the world’s busiest airports to deliver additional tactical capacity, increase on time performance and reduce emissions per-flight. 

In continuous operation at Heathrow since 2015, Intelligent Approach was deployed at Toronto Pearson in 2022 and then Amsterdam Schiphol in early 2023.Once it went live at Amsterdam, it contributed to an increase in the airport’s capacity by up to six additional landings per hour, per runway.

The partnership agreement signed between the three companies means users of Indra Air Traffic Management systems in over 50 countries now have the option to seamlessly integrate Intelligent Approach – including time-based separation and wake vortex re-categorisation - into their operations.

Intelligent Approach allows air traffic controllers to optimise the spacing between arriving aircraft based on time rather than distance and thereby maximise runway capacity, reducing delays, and cutting fuel burn and emissions per-flight. It dynamically calculates the optimum time between arrivals based on aircraft size and type together with their runway occupancy time.

Intelligent Approach uses the latest wake vortex categorisation and dynamically calculates the spacing between arrivals based on real time wind conditions, rather than relying on wind forecasts and set distances. It has been shown to help airports increase the capacity of their existing runways without the need for any new airfield equipment or infrastructure. 

Indra’s Chief Executive Director, José Vicente de los Mozos, said: "This collaboration allows us to accelerate the introduction of the most innovative technologies to move towards a greener and more sustainable aviation. It provides our clients with quick and easy access to the most cutting-edge technologies that have demonstrated a real ability to increase the efficiency of their operations."

The Managing Director of ATM at Indra, Javier Ruano, noted: “The long-term collaboration that Indra establishes with the air navigation service providers it works with and with the entire ecosystem of companies related to air traffic in general is allowing us to advance rapidly in the development and implementation of  leading-edge solutions that the sector is demanding”.

Martin Rolfe, NATS Chief Executive Officer, said: “Intelligent Approach has a proven track record of delivering addition runway capacity wherever it has been deployed. This new agreement means Indra customers all over the world can now more easily enjoy those benefits, increasing their operational efficiency, improving on-time performance, and reducing fuel burn per-flight.”

Graham Emmons, Vice President & Managing Director, Civil at Leidos UK & Europe said: “This is an exciting milestone for Intelligent Approach as more airports globally may be able to reap the benefits it delivers. As evidenced by our most recent deployments, Intelligent Approach not only supports operational enhancements to existing airport infrastructure, but also contributes to environmental improvements. These include a reduction in overall airport CO2 emissions and decreased usage of noise-sensitive runways. We look forward to supporting future deployments.”

About Indra

Indra (www.indracompany.com) is one of the leading global technology and consulting companies, world leader in engineering technology for aerospace, defense and mobility business, and that heads digital transformation consultancy and information technologies in Spain and Latin America through its affiliate Minsait. It is the technology partner for digitalization and core business operations of its customers worldwide thanks to its business model, based on a comprehensive range of proprietary products, with a high-value end-to-end focus and a high degree of innovation. Sustainability is part of its strategy and culture, to face present and future social and environmental challenges. In the financial year 2023, Indra achieved revenue totaling €4.343 billions, with more than 57,000 employees, local presence in 46 countries and business operations in over 140 countries.

About NATS
   
NATS is the UK’s principal air navigation services provider and is split into two main businesses, which provide two distinct services:

• NATS (En Route) plc (NERL) — the regulated business, which provides air traffic management services to aircraft within UK airspace and over the eastern part of the North Atlantic; and
• NATS (Services) Ltd (NSL) — the unregulated business, which provides air traffic control services at many of the UK’s major airports (15 civil and 7 military airfields) and other airports overseas.

NATS provides UTM, aerodrome, data, engineering, capacity, efficiency and environmental performance solutions to customers worldwide, including airports, airlines, air traffic service providers and governments.   
For more information visit the NATS website at www.nats.aero