CAAP moves to improve aircraft traffic flow

A state-of-the-art satellite-based air traffic management system is expected to come online by the middle of this year in Manila, providing a boost to aircraft traffic flow and safety.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said the new Communications Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM), which had suffered long delays, would be ready for operations by the end of June 2017, a statement showed.

According to CAAP, the CNS/ATM will use the latest computer and satellite-based air traffic management technology.

“Upon completion of the project, the Philippines would be able to monitor 80 percent of the Manila Flight Information Region as assigned to the Philippines by the International Civil Aviation Organization,” the Department of Transportation said in a statement.

Specifically, the platform will put the Philippines “at the same level with other developed countries.”  The system allows aircraft transponders to receive satellite signals while using transponder transmissions to determine the precise locations of aircraft in the sky.

“This project aims to provide a more efficient, economic and safer air traffic flow management in the country. Currently, the same technology is being used by Australia, Taiwan and other European states,” the DOTr noted.

Better traffic flow would also help minimize disruptions, leading to better runway utilization at Naia, which is operating well beyond its intended capacity.

CAAP said the technology-based flight data processing system of the CNS/ATM system would likewise enable aircraft operators to meet their departure and arrival schedules. They can also choose their preferred flight profiles “with minimum inhibitions while prioritizing the safety and security of their passengers.”

According to the DOTr, this was a 22-million yen (P9.4 million) project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

It included the establishment of a central  traffic control complex housed in the CAAP office in Manila, as well as 10 radar sites that cover the entire Philippine Flight Information Region. The project is now 92 percent complete, the DOTr said.

With the new systems in place, CAAP would need to hire 500 air traffic controllers over the next five years.