Thales to modernise ATM automation in Shanghai
Key points
- Thales to modernise ATC systems and tower automation at both major airports of the Shanghai Metroplex.
- Fully integrated arrival, departure management to enable optimisation of regional air traffic flows.
- The contract will help East ATMB maintain safety whilst ensuring steady growth in air traffic volumes.
On the opening day of the ATC Global Show in Dubai, Thales announces its continued growth in China with the signing of a contract to implement its latest ATM automation systems for the Shanghai Metroplex air space.
Thales and Beijing Easy Sky Technology (BEST, a Thales – TEDC joint venture) have jointly signed a contract with the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) East Air Traffic Management Bureau (East ATMB) in order to implement a new Air Traffic Management automation system in Shanghai.
Through this contract, ATM world leader Thales, together with BEST, will upgrade the Shanghai airspace and airport management systems. This will include the Shanghai terminal manoeuvring area and surface operations at Shanghai Pudong and Shanghai Hongqiao airports.
The contract includes implementation of Thales TopSky-ATC, the most innovative air traffic automation system in the world. Thales will also deploy TopSky-Tower, its advanced, integrated tower automation suite, at both Shanghai airports. Airport and airspace traffic flows will be sequenced and balanced using MAESTRO, Thales’s fully integrated arrival and departure management system.
This is a crucial contract for the region, as collectively, the Shanghai Metroplex (incorporating both Shanghai airports) ranks just behind Beijing in China and is in the top 10 in the world, in terms of air traffic movements. With air traffic in the region set to grow at a steady 20% over the next 10 years, the modernisation programme will be instrumental in maintaining the projected growth rate while supporting excellence in air safety for the Shanghai Metroplex.
"China is one of the world’s most important aviation regions and we are proud of the Chinese authorities’ continued trust in Thales TopSky-ATM solutions for managing their busiest and most complex operations.“
Jean-Marc ALIAS, VP Air Traffic Management
Shanghai approach control systems for Shanghai terminal manoeuvring area
TopSky-ATC with seamless integration to the Shanghai Area Control Centre
Advanced backup system capability including complete flight plan synchronisation, multi-sensor processing and alerting to enable consistent operations during any main system outage or maintenance period.
Advanced tower control functions with fully integrated electronic flight data management, safety nets, departure sequencing/metering and aircraft taxi routing to enable safe, smooth and efficient operations at Shanghai Pudong and Shanghai Hongqiao airports.
Data exchange with Airport systems to enhance airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) and improve coordination between the airport facilities and flight operations.
Data Link Departure Clearance functionality to enable efficient flight clearance, reduce controller workload and reduce voice communication frequency congestion.
Integrated Arrival and Departure Management System - Thales MAESTRO AMAN/DMAN
Seamless integration between area control, approach control and tower systems – all controllers share the same sequence information and can manage airport configuration changes collaboratively including advanced traffic flow management (ATFM) control times.
Integration of required arrival delay absorption into sector displays to enable efficiency traffic sequencing and reduced airborne holding.
Advanced de-icing management including time-out alerting to support efficient winter operations.
Advanced runway allocation processing to enable efficient airline operations and reduce taxi times.
About Thales
Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defence and Security markets. With 61,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of €13 billion in 2014. With over 20,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design and deploy equipment, systems and services to meet the most complex security requirements. Its unique international footprint allows it to work closely with its customers all over the world.