Airservices and the Department of Defence have released a Request For Tender (RFT) for Australia’s future air traffic management (ATM) platform.
When implemented, the new system will provide a generational improvement to the way air traffic is managed by aligning civil and defence ATM requirements under a single unified national solution.
The tender comes as both organisations’ ATM systems reach the end their end of life.
Airservices CEO, Margaret Staib and Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Brown, have said consistently both organisations were committed to the successful harmonisation of civil and military air traffic management, which will bring a wide range of benefits, including greater operational efficiencies, seamless systems compatibility, and better investment in personnel and infrastructure.
“This future ATM system will ensure that Australian aviation remains at the forefront of technologically advanced air traffic management and safety,” Staib said.
“It will reduce overlaps, increase cooperation, improve communication, and deliver better training and expertise across the workforce,” said Air Marshal Brown.
The streamlining of equipment and processes will bring with it shared expertise and facilities, creating economies of scale whilst delivering greater flexibility meeting the needs of airspace users.“
A national harmonised ATM platform will remove the inherent limitations from separately managed volumes of airspace and the constraints of operating different systems,” Staib explained.
“Through more flexible use of airspace, it will enable better management and prioritisation of an increasingly complex traffic mix. In an environment of projected growth, it will also allow us to connect the Australian aviation industry to deliver world-best industry performance.”
Airservices will lead the project, including procurement of the future system for both Airservices and the Department of Defence.
The RFT opened on June 28 and closes on October 30. It follows an industry RFT in April 2010 and industry briefings in December 2011 and December 2012.
