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Connected Government

Taiwan revamps air traffic control system

By Jianggan Li | 4 October 2011

Taiwan’s Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) announced the completion of the TWD4.4 billion (US$143 million) programme to construct a Communications, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management system for Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR).

The programme, which took 10 years to complete, will be officially launched on Wednesday (Oct 5). The Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) is located in the middle of the Southeast Asia airway system. From the Taipei FIR, Northeast-bound routes lead to Japan, Korea, and continental North America; Southwest-bound routes lead to Hong Kong, Macau, Indo-China, central Asia, and Europe; Southbound airways lead to the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand.

According to Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), an agency under the MTC, the earlier generation of Air Traffic Control Automation System, introduced in 1996, has been experiencing challenges of ageing equipments and insufficient capacity. The system also became difficult to maintain, as both the technologies and facilities became legacy. Since 2002, the CAA, under the recommendations of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), began revamping the system, in order for the air traffic management in Taiwan to suit the future air traffic growth.

The CNS/ATM programme, proposed by ICAO, aims to equip communications, navigation and surveillance facilities based on satellite communications and digital technologies. The standardised Air Traffic Management across the globe in the plan aims to establish a more secure, and more efficient air traffic control and servicing environment.

In Taiwan, the ATM programme included the establishment of two Air Traffic Service Parks, which consolidates all the air traffic services into the central management. CAA says that the consolidation streamlines the communications & processes between different units and improves the efficiency and effectiveness of the whole system.

The biggest challenge, according to CAA, is the switch between the old system and the new structure, which has to be seamless. To achieve this, the CAA planned a three month transition programme, which is divided into six phases. All the professional and administrative personnel of Air Navigation and Weather Services (ANWS) have been mobilised to work on the transition, which happened according to plans.

The ANWS is responsible for the operation and quality of air traffic services systems in Taipei FIR. Because of the introduction of satellite and digital communications, the new air traffic control system is able to track aircraft status real time, ensuring security, and also catering to the air traffic growth of the future.

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