SITA Stresses Commitment to Data Link Trials

March 9, 2006

SITA executive David Russell said the organization remains committed to participating in the European Air Navigation Safety Organization EUROCONTROL’s Link 2000+ and CASCADE programs, which cover controller-pilot data link communications (CPDLC) and automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) development.

As part of its participation in the EUROCONTROL Link 2000+, SITA is enabling access to the El Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre-implemented CPDLC application for customers who have International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)-compliant ATN/VDL Mode 2 service access. Lufthansa, Air Europa, Air Berlin, Hapag Lloyd, Federal Express and Alitalia selected the SITA Aircom service as their service provider, SITA said.

Involvement in the CASCADE program includes deployment of a 4 ADS-B receiver network in conjunction with QinetiQ and UK NATS in the southeastern U.K. Results thus far indicate more aircraft are broadcasting their location via ADS-B, SITA said.

SITA is working to conclude phases of a study, sponsored by EUROCONTROL, designed to analyze the sustainability of the INMARSAT SwiftBroadband service, which is powered by new INMARSAT 4 satellites. INMARSAT and QinetiQ also participated in the study.

The organization also signed VHF data link partnership deals with air navigation service providers in Spain (AENA) and Germany (DFS). As part of the agreements, AENA and DFS each control deployed SITA-supplied VHF data link infrastructure in their territories. Portugal's Nav EP also tapped SITA as its ATN/VDL service supplier.

Plans for 2006 also include working alongside the SN Brussels Airlines, Belgocontrol and Dutch National Luchten Ruimtevaartlaboratorium consortium on data-link taxi clearance (D-TAXI) trials at the Brussels airport.

Air traffic controllers support the trial because D-TAXI is expected to decrease voice channel congestion at airports, which in turn will enable pilots to use a data link to obtain start-up, push-back and taxi clearance, Russell said.

SITA is enabling a digital operational terminal information service (D-OTIS) to provide pilots with up-to-date flight route weather information and changes, the organization said. Specifically, a SITA ground server extracts Notices to Airmen (NOTAM) information from the EUROCONTROL European AIS database (EAD) and then transmits the information to pilots, SITA said.

The organization recently sponsored Destination Datalink, a free workshop focused on data link as a means to enhance air traffic safety, at the Air Traffic Control Exhibition in February.

Source: SITA.