at stand
I21
Airspace
World 2024
Imagine a small uncontrolled aerodrome in amongst mountainous terrain, hundreds of kilometres away from a main town or city.
Think Milford Sound, 287km drive from the tourist mecca of Queenstown in the South Island of New Zealand. It’s remote, but a popular tourist destination - not enough air traffic for a controlled service, but plenty of tourist operators and recreational pilots buzzing around daily in fixed wing aircraft and helicopters, with high volumes of traffic at peak times. Throw in a handful of drones a day and you have a potentially high risk aviation environment in uncontrolled airspace.
The financial viability and sustainability of providing an aerodrome Flight Information Service in such a location is critical for air navigation service providers – in the case of Milford, Flight Information Officers (A/FIO) commute from Queenstown to deliver the service, dealing with long hours and fatigue, transient accommodation, and often adverse weather.
It was these kinds of concerns that sparked Airways International to consider the viability of a remote aerodrome situational awareness tool – utilising dynamic data feeds such as air traffic data from Airways’ ATM system, aeronautical information from PreFlight, uncrewed aircraft information from AirShare, and weather information from MetService.
Time for a proof of concept
Leveraging the innovation behind the PreFlight and Flight Advisor dynamic mapping tools for use by New Zealand pilots, Airways International set about building a proof-of-concept/prototype, consisting of two major components – a representative airfield, and the technology solution at a remote location. The prototype was developed in just three months.
The representative airfield was Kapiti Airport at Paraparaumu in New Zealand, and the remote location was in the Aeropath offices in Wellington, where multiple information feeds were integrated.
At the airfield, two high definition cameras were set up to capture live video feeds of the aerodrome, with data sent via 5G to the remote location in central Wellington. The result? We proved that we could provide remote situational awareness for an aerodrome that could be used by a Flight Service operator working from a remote location - and also in various other applications, with the aim to enhance safety.
Taking it to the people
Stakeholder engagement was critical for the next step in the process – to demonstrate the technology and gather feedback around its use from groups of people who would be either end users of the technology, or involved in its operation in some way.
We like to call it “The Wisdom of the Crowd”… bringing groups of people together to understand the problem or challenge; try out the proposed solution in the form of a prototype; and then feed back to us on any and all aspects of the technology to help inform its future development. Here’s who we engaged in the process:
- Airways: ATS Managers, Aerodrome Flight Information Officers, the Technology Group, ALPA (union) representatives
- External to Airways: The Milford User Group, the Civil Aviation Authority’s Aviation Services group.
- Over the period of about four weeks, the above stakeholders spent time interacting with the prototype, with a view to providing rich feedback that could help to further enhance the solution.
What did we learn, and what’s next?
Throughout this process we learned the critical value of engaging stakeholders early in development, to help enhance solutions by honing in on customer challenges and pain points. It’s all part of the culture of innovation within our business – our people take their innovation & continuous improvement mindset into the development of our solutions, and set their focus on really understanding our customers’ needs.
Since launching the prototype and going through the stakeholder engagement process, we’ve been interacting with operators at unattended regional aerodromes throughout New Zealand, to understand how the technology could enhance safety for their operations. Face-to-face engagement with these operators has been hugely important as we work to inform and educate them on how the use of this technology could support remote situational awareness at unattended aerodromes.
From our own research & discovery, and discussions with operators, we’ve learned that there are many options to explore in this area. Provision of remote aerodrome flight information tools and/or services will be an evolution, not a revolution. We intend to gradually introduce the technology to all stakeholders (FIO, company, pilot) and develop experience at each level to determine the way forward.
We’re looking forward to seeing what the future holds in this space – and how Airways International can play a part in it.
Head of Aviation Services
Airways International
As an industry partner in the AITP, our key goal for these trials was ultimately to help inform what a fit-for-purpose UTM for New Zealand looks like, to support integration and a world-leading uncrewed aircraft industry in this country.
In a nutshell, the trials help us to learn how to better share the air – both from the perspective of interacting with air traffic control, and with sharing digital information with the AirShare UTM.
AirShare’s role in the trials
During the Wisk trials we displayed live position data from the uncrewed aircraft in AirShare to support situational awareness, and the digital ecosystem was used for flight planning, airspace manager authorisations, digital flight activations and traffic information. Importantly we were also able to utilise the the conformance monitoring function – observing if the uncrewed aircraft was adhering to its intended flight path.
With these multi-user and multi-system interactions, the system supported a common operating picture for low-level airspace.
The trials also enabled AirShare to meet deliverables as an industry partner in the AITP – such as demonstrating data exchanges between AAM and UTM for a working uncrewed aircraft ecosystem, and providing live UA positions in AirShare to support a common operating picture and safe integration.
So what did we learn?
The Wisk trials, which were operated beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) in controlled airspace and integrated with regular crewed traffic, helped us to learn about the role of automation to enable scalability for the AAM industry, and how UTM and a digital ecosystem can support the future industry.
At AirShare, we collected data along the way to help further develop and refine UTM functionality that will support AAM operations across the globe.
As the scale of global AAM flights increase, automation and a digital ecosystem will become increasingly important – so it was invaluable for AirShare to participate in these trials to support digital data exchange.
What’s next for AirShare in the AAM space?
We’ll continue collaboration under the AITP to advance airspace integration and work with different use cases to inform UTM functionality to better share the air.
The AirShare team is closely watching the emerging regulations, standards and industry activity around the world. Following the U-Space roadmap concepts in our development work, we have implemented a number of U-space services in our UTM solution.
We’re proud to be participating in the burgeoning aerospace sector, and collaborating across the AAM industry and agencies to support work to accelerate the integration of advanced UA in New Zealand’s aviation system and beyond.
Head of Products (Digital),
Airways International
The first-of-its-kind flight trials were led by Wisk Aero alongside various aviation industry leaders and conducted from the Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre at Kaitorete near Christchurch, New Zealand.
These trials in non-segregated controlled airspace proved to be an excellent opportunity for AirShare, as a partner in the New Zealand Government’s Airspace Integration Trials Programme (AITP), to work together with other agencies and partners to gain valuable learnings for safe integration of AAM into New Zealand’s airspace.
“The collaboration between MetService and Aeropath has produced what I believe is the best pre-flight briefing tool we have ever seen here in New Zealand, with an overwhelmingly positive response from our PreFlight users.
“The one stop-shop provision of updated Weather, NOTAMS and Air Navigation Charts provides both a better user experience and enhances safety, by improving the user’s ability to safely plan to undertake a flight, in our unique New Zealand environment.”
Diversifying through dynamic digital data - what else is happening in this space?
PreFlight is one of many platforms either developed or underway by Aeropath, as a result of the AIM data platform and the team’s newly developed digital capabilities. Another web-based platform, Flight Advisor - developed in collaboration with the Royal New Zealand Air Force - provides civilian and military pilots with situational awareness of potential hazards and obstacles when operating at low level in uncontrolled airspace, and enables easy reporting of previously unmapped hazards.
Watch this space for further initiatives enabled by the Aeropath data platform and the team’s expertise in data integration and visualisation.
Head of Aeropath,
Airways International
This online platform, launched in September 2022 is just one outcome of the transition from paper-based outputs to digital data systems for our Aeropath team, who have global expertise in aeronautical information management and solutions.
In collaboration with the New Zealand MetService, Aeropath integrated safety-critical weather and aeronautical data into a single, intuitive, graphical briefing site for New Zealand pilots – and now, 18 months on from its launch there’s over 10,000 users.
Why was it needed?
Aviators previously needed to visit two different websites to gain comprehensive pre-flight information – one hosted by Airways and the other by MetService. This was inefficient for pilots, who wanted to access all relevant pre-flight information in one place as they undertook their critical flight planning prior to take-off.
Aeropath and MetService listened to this feedback, and joined forces to develop a one-stop solution. The integration of the two sites into one modern, interactive web-based platform designed for desktop and mobile devices had been a long-standing goal – now made possible following the data modernisation journeys of both organisations.
Aeropath’s journey from paper-based to digital data
Aeropath and MetService have been on similar paths over the past decade to transition from largely manual processes and paper-based outputs to digital data systems. Aeropath’s focus has been on migrating its legacy Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) and its core products of paper charts and flight manuals, to the data-centric world of Aeronautical Information Management (AIM).
While the flight manuals and charts are still produced in hard copy, they are now also available in digital format – with the majority of Aeropath’s AIM services now run from the data platform. New GIS systems, with their emphasis on the visualisation of spatial data, have streamlined the production of the most complex navigation charts, and the organisation is diversifying its aeronautical products and services through its digital information business.
How is PreFlight supporting pilots?
PreFlight represents the next generation of AIM data visualisation and user interaction. The free version encompasses basic maps, aerodrome data, airspace, weather charts, and standard pre-flight briefings. Aviators subscribing to the premium service gain access to advanced briefing features, advanced rain radar and cloud imagery, enhanced aerodrome information including decoded TAF and METAR, aerodrome charts and webcams.
Premium users can also access interactive map overlays featuring En-route NOTAMs, SIGMET and SIGWX phenomena, automatic weather stations, and a selection of basemaps including Visual Navigation Charts and LINZ topographic maps amongst other features.
What’s been the uptake from aviators for PreFlight?
And the proof is in the pudding, so they say. There are now more than 10,000 users of the platform, including more than 80 organisations, and more than 400,000 briefings have been generated.
Head of ATS Training,
Airways International
This follows a strong recovery for our training academy in 2023 as global demand for air traffic services training increased along with air traffic levels, post the Covid-19 pandemic.
Over the past six months we’ve been pleased to train students from around the world in our Training centre in Christchurch, in-country and virtually via our AKO virtual academy – from United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Rwanda, Ghana, Jordan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and the Pacific Islands.
We also celebrated 25 years of delivering competency based air traffic services training to ANSPs globally.
We’re expecting high demand for ATS training to continue into 2024 and beyond, based on the surge of enquiries we’re receiving from ANSPs globally and the forecasts for continued growth in air traffic levels.
Check out the images below to catch a glimpse of what’s been happening in the Training Centre.
We're excited to be showcasing our latest product innovations and developments at Airspace World 2024 in Geneva, on 19-21 March.
Come and visit our team at stand I21, and learn about how we can support you with ATC training, simulation, uncrewed traffic management, flight procedure design and more.
We look forward to reconnecting with our customers, partners and industry colleagues at the most important event globally for the air traffic management industry. Come and visit our team at stand I21, and learn about how we can support you with air traffic control training, simulation, uncrewed traffic management, flight procedure design and more.
We will again be demonstrating our world-leading TotalControl ATC simulator on the stand – this is expected to draw many visitors to our stand, to see for themselves the real-world graphics based on our unique TrueView technology.
As well as TotalControl simulation, we’ll also be showcasing the following products & services:
- Airways Training – our range of ATC ab initio and short courses
- Airways Knowledge Online (AKO) virtual academy
- AirShare uncrewed traffic management system (UTM)
- SureSelect ATC selection – toolkit of test suites
- Procedure design and aeronautical information management (AIM) services – via Aeropath.
Make sure to keep in touch with us on Linkedin to hear our Airspace World updates.
Airspace World 2024
Jonny will discuss the potential and power of simulator analytics, not only to ensure consistent training but also build confidence in evaluating ATC performance in remote training scenarios. He will touch on the use of data to refine and improve training methods, and the potential for introducing new training models like mobile simulations.
Finally, he’ll explore future applications, particularly in standardising on-the-job competency checking, and end-to-end training monitoring. Jonny’s talk promises to provide a forward-looking perspective on the evolving role of analytics in ATC training and its impact on future air traffic management.
Jonny Cooke, Product Manager TotalControl, Airways International
Tuesday 19 March, 2pm, Indra Theatre
Sharon will join fellow leaders from the industry to pinpoint the skillsets that will be in demand and defining prospective career pathways. The outcome of this workshop will be a list of skills needed to fill the gaps between the current and future workforce.
Sharon Cooke, CEO, Airways International
Thursday 21 March, 11am, Frequentis Theatre
Innovation and safety regulation often seem to be at odds with each other due to the little tolerance for failures in the aviation industry. How can we strike a balance between fostering innovation and maintaining a strong safety culture?
The aviation industry is constantly striving to find a delicate equilibrium between fostering innovation and maintaining a strong safety culture. Safety is the utmost priority, and one key challenge with introducing and implementing innovative technologies and solutions into such a safety critical sector, is effectively identifying, assessing and mitigating the associated risks.
At Airways International, innovation is at the heart of our business. We work closely with our colleagues and stakeholders to thoroughly test and assess new products or features before rolling out into the business. A good example is our Digital Flight Information Service Prototype (DFISP).
Innovation is not limited to technological advancements but also extends to areas such as capability procurement. How can ANSPs explore and find better, more cost-effective ways to provide ANS services?
It’s critical to establish a continuous improvement culture within an ANSP in order to encourage employees to foster an innovative mindset and suggest and implement new ways of delivering services.
This culture is firmly in place at Airways International – we encourage innovation by hosting workshops for example where our people present ideas which are then funded if we can see a line of sight to efficiency gains or delivering our services differently to benefit our customers.
An interview with Sharon Cooke
CEO, Airways International
Along with many other ANSPs, Airways has challenges with silos across the business – it’s a continued work-in-progress for us. Some of our recent initiatives to break down silos include cross-department teams and knowledge sharing sessions, mentorship opportunities and secondments to promote collaboration and to encourage employees to broaden their understanding of different roles.
How can ANSPs leverage collaboration and partnerships with industry stakeholders, research institutions, and other organisations to enhance their innovation capabilities?
Airways has seen significant mutual benefits from sharing of knowledge and expertise and working with partners to keep up-to-date with the latest innovations, technologies and best practices in the industry.
By combining our expertise and resources, together we can address complex challenges more effectively and develop solutions that meet the needs of all stakeholders.
Meet James Hamilton – Airways International Regional Director Middle East and Africa, based in our Middle East office in Dubai.
James started with Airways International on 1 July – in this Q&A with James he tells us a bit about himself, his role and Airways International innovation & collaboration.
Regional Director Middle East and Africa
Airways International
Tell us a bit about your background and what has led you to this role with Airways International?
I’m a Southland boy who left the shores of New Zealand in 1997 to start a role with DHL Express in Saudi Arabia and have been in the Middle East pretty much ever since with the last 10 years being with Etihad Cargo in Abu Dhabi, as Global Account Manager looking after the largest Freight Forwarders globally.
In my spare time I have always been involved in rugby and was Captain of the Saudi Arabian rugby team in the late 90’s. I'm now retired and have fun with a friend running a podcast called “The Captain's Table” talking to Dubai identities.
When I'm not in work I can mostly be found in a loud shirt, shorts and flip flops…
What does your role with Airways International involve, and what makes you excited to be joining Airways?
I feel my role is the link between the customer and “the Mothership” Airways International back in New Zealand. I like being the “Voice of the Customer” and want to advocate on their behalf and to keep them up-to-date with our latest developments and offerings.
What has attracted you to the air traffic management industry?
My passion is in the aviation industry, and I’m really excited to get involved in the air traffic management sector and support our customers to ensure a safe and efficient airspace through delivery of world-leading products and services.
Being new to the organisation and the industry, what are your first impressions and key insights into how Airways International can best support the industry and our customers?
Airways International, like a lot of New Zealand companies, comes with a professional aura that is well received within the industry globally. It’s obvious that when a customer chooses Airways International, they will receive a superior level of service.
Airways International is globally recognised for leading innovation in the air traffic management sector. What examples can you give of how we are shaping the future of the sector through innovation?
Innovation is not something that can be harnessed overnight. Airways International has delivered a level of innovation for many years which gives trust to the customer that they are working with an organisation at the leading edge of training and support.
What are some of the key challenges being faced by the air traffic management industry, that Airways International can help to overcome via our products & services?
During COVID many customers put training on hold – I think many people in the industry are now surprised at how quickly the passenger industry has rebounded and are now playing catch-up in relation to training. This is shown by a global shortage of Air Traffic Controllers – we have noticed a considerable increase in training requirements, all with short deadlines for completion.
How do you think ANSPs can leverage collaboration and partnerships to enhance their innovation capabilities?
At Airways International we have multiple partnerships to call upon, so when ANSPs require complex and innovative requirements we can if required gather assistance from multiple parties - in many ways we are a one-stop shop.
