By David Jensen
DUBLIN, Ireland, 28 Dec. 2009. To accommodate steady growth in activity at Dublin Airport, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has installed a multilateration ground surveillance system that supports a new advanced movement guidance and control system (A-SMGCS). The S-SMGCS became operational in late October and the multilateration system, in December.
The airport serving the Irish capital often has been operating at capacity, averaging 22 flights per hour, despite the current economic downturn. Although traffic volume flattened in 2009, total traffic movements escalated from less than 180,000 in 2003 to more than 210,000 in 2008, an about 18 percent increase.
At the same time, poor weather and low-visibility conditions often plague Dublin Airport, making surface movement surveillance difficult. IAA, therefore, turned to Netherlands-based HITT Traffic to be the systems integrator and supply the A-SMGCS, and to Era A.S., in Fairfax, Va., to provide the multilateration system. Twenty-three receiver/transmitter units have been positioned throughout the airfield to assure optimum surface surveillance coverage for receiving aircraft transponder transmissions. Dublin's aircraft movement monitoring system also includes six processing/tracking units.
The A-SMGCS processes aircraft positions and identifications for display at the airport's air traffic control tower and center controller workstations, according to an IAA spokesperson. Ground vehicles with transponders also are monitored.
In addition, Dublin Airport uses HITT Traffic's Airport Insight tool, which provides real-time statistics on runway occupancy and aircraft delays. The software is meant to improve decision-making and airport efficiency, as well as facilitate future growth at the airport.
As yet, according to the spokesperson, no plans exist to install A-SMGCS and multilateration at the other airports that IAA provides air traffic control services: Shannon and Cork. Expansion of the Dublin system has not been ruled out, however.
