DFS completes a year managing the German sky with Indra's state-of-the-art systems

 The Karlsruhe control centre, in charge of the management of Central and East Germany's upper space, has been running the P1/VAFORIT ATS system for a year. The system, developed by Indra in cooperation with DFS, improves the management capacity of a centre which organises traffic in one of Europe's busiest airspace areas.

This system is based on the new 4D-trajectory management paradigm (3 dimensions plus time) which allows more accuracy when calculating the route of the airplane. Therefore, the choice of route will be more flexible and the flights will be more direct. Airplanes will no longer use pre-established routes which are not always the most convenient.

A successful implementation of the P1/VAFORIT enabled DFS to startup the Free Route Airspace Karlsruhe (FRAK), a space where this new and efficient model is already in use. It favours less fuel consumption which leads to a reduction of CO2 emissions, and guarantees the highest levels of safety and traffic flow in air operations.

Indra is the first company to bring into use this technology for flight management in Europe. It was first implemented at the Maastricht Upper Air Control Centre (MUAC) which has been running since 2009 with an advanced flight planning system developed by the company. One year later, in 2010, Indra completed the implementation of the P1/VAFORIT system. These two milestones in the development of air traffic management systems place Indra ahead its competitors.

P1/VAFORIT includes another innovative feature: a strip less system, where the traditional paper strips the controllers use have undergone digitalisation. This system makes access to information easier, safer and faster.

Collaboration to create the Single European Sky

P1/VAFORIT is the first version of the future iCAS system (iTEC Centre Automation System), the German version of the European iTEC (interoperability Through European Collaboration) system, currently under development by Indra.

Indra and DFS are already collaborating in the development of the latest generation of iCAS systems which will be installed at all control centres in Germany in the next 10 years.

iTEC is a state-of-the-art automated air traffic management system. It is also based on 4D-trajectories and is the result of cooperation of DFS-Germany’s air navigation services provider, counterpart NATS from UK and AENA, from Spain, with the support of Indra as a technology partner leading the development. Recently LVNL, Dutch Air Traffic Control, also joined this alliance and more members are expected.

The new iTEC system will be in full compliance with the requirements set by SESAR, the European R&D initiative for the development of the air traffic management technologies which will make the Single European Sky possible.

Designed to meet the requirements of the alliance members, iTEC will guarantee full interoperability among the control centres of different countries equipped with it, will facilitate traffic flow and airplanes will have the possibility of choosing a more direct route in an air space the size of Europe.

Besides the collaboration with the new P1/VAFORIT system Indra has maintained a close cooperation with DFS for 17 years.

Indra is a leading company in the provision of ATM systems worldwide. In over 30 years it has supplied in excess 1.200 units to more than 95 countries.

The Spanish company set up a subsidiary in Germany dedicated to develop aeronautical communications applications and aeronautical information management systems. The office employs around 100 professionals.

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 over € 500 M during the last three years. In 2010 revenues reached € 2,557 M and the international market already accounts for a 44%. The company employs more than 35,000 professionals and has clients in more than 110 countries.