Technology News

Uruguay is the first country in the world to adopt IP technology to establish the totality of communications between aeronautical controller and aircraft pilots. This new technology allows, for the first time, communications surface-to-air between pilot and controller of a country be fully based on digital communication systems.

Technology applied for air traffic controllers is similar to IP telephony, which uses the internet network to communicate. However, instead of using the internet network, connecting to controllers to its own aviation network, which provides greater security and keeps it away from hackers.

According to Enrique Castillo, director of Air Traffic Management International of Indra, company responsible for installing the technology, communication via IP technology enables lower costs and is “more reliable”, which prevents the communication is lost, he told El Observador. This technology is similar because it uses a digital network that allows a greater transmission of data, but is not connected to internet but to a private aviation network.

The new form of communication was officially proven on November 12 on a commercial flight from TAM. In its first test aircraft established communication using this digital system with Carrasco airport air traffic control center. Since the system was handed over to the National Directorate of Civil Aviation and aeronautics infrastructure (Dinacia) and is used in all commercial flights aircraft, said Castillo.

Controllers use ground-air communications to give instructions to pilots, give weather information or report the position of the aircraft. In an emergency, pilots can seek landing on a different track through communication with the controls.

With this initiative Uruguay follows indications the Organization of International Civil Aviation (Onaci), a regulatory body for the dependent on United Nations aviation, which established that the use of IP technology is recommended for communication between pilots and air traffic controllers.

Another advantage mentioned Castle is that with this technology it is possible to ‘share’ the communication between controller and pilot, with neighbouring countries that use the same technology. Thus, if the airports of Argentina had a digitized communication, Uruguay could allow the conversations of pilots with Carrasco airport, to hear which would increase security, said.

Enrique Moreni, President of the Association of drivers of the transit air of the Uruguay (Actau), told El Observador that the new communication, “still some difficulties”, as “continuous failures” of communications, problems of eco, lack of transmission in some data and little clarity in the reception.

The controller stated that “Although it is a very modern yet has had adjustments to make it optimum”, concluded.

Moreni said that before be implemented digital technology, there were areas in Uruguay where surface-to-air communication was lost, and he added: “not listened to aircraft and aircraft us not listened to us”.

Despite the difficulties currently faced by the drivers, Moreni said that they are in a “pilot” phase of the new technology, and that the necessary adjustments are being made. To ensure safety, still used as support to digital analog system.

For its part, Indra technicians described as “full success” the implementation of the system. She said Castillo IP communication is being implemented in most of Europe. Indra is working to incorporate this system in countries like Nicaragua, Belize, Australia, Germany, among others.