NATS at the World ATM Congress 2021

NATS will be a major supporter of the World ATM Congress in Madrid on 26-28 October as the industry seeks to bounce back from the effects of the Covid crisis.

On stand 826, NATS and its partners will be showcasing tools and products designed to support airports and air traffic service providers recovering from the impact of the global pandemic.

With traffic levels still far below pre-pandemic levels in many parts of world, being able to accurately model future demand, maximise the efficiency of runways and prolong the life of existing airport infrastructure is going to be vital as traffic returns.

• Rather than ‘one size fits all’, together with Searidge Technologies, NATS will be presenting five types of digital tower, illustrating the flexibility and adaptability that makes the technology relevant to every type of airport. From a regional airfield looking to reduce costs to an international hub in search of a full capability contingency facility, each has a relevant and proven solution.
• Intelligent Approach, the arrivals spacing tool developed by NATS and Leidos, is already benefiting Heathrow and is planned to go live for Schiphol and Toronto airports. By helping safely optimise runway capacity, Intelligent Approach helps airports increase revenue, improve operational resilience, deliver better on-time performance and reduce CO2 emissions.
• With predictability in short supply over the past two years, NATS and Frequentis Orthogon will be showcasing Demand Capacity Balancer (DCB). Using powerful analytics, DCB creates a ‘digital twin’ of any airport, allowing operators to model, measure and mitigate the effects of a whole host of variables – from global winds and airline schedules to delays at passport control. DCB bridges the gap between strategic, pre-tactical and tactical planning, helping improve resilience and allowing airports to make the most of their available assets.

NATS experts will also be taking part in several presentations and roundtable discussions, including:

3Di – Measuring Environmental Efficiency to Drive Performance
Wednesday 27 October, 14:15 – 14:35, Frequentis Aviation Arena

3Di is NATS’ airspace efficiency metric, used to compare the trajectory of every flight against the theoretical ‘perfect flight’ and identify opportunities to improve performance. It has helped NATS enable 6.86m tonnes of CO₂ savings in the UK since 2012. With the need for action on climate change ever pressing, NATS made the metric available for free to the rest of the industry in April 2021. Find out how it has been used to deliver tangible benefits, both for the environment and to airline fuel bills.

Which Digital Tower is Right for Your Operation?
Wednesday 27 October, 14:05 – 14:30, WING ATM Theatre

Today, digital towers are transforming the way air traffic is controlled. It’s a technology that is making airports around the world safer, more flexible and efficient. There are a variety of different reasons to consider digital tower technology: Maybe it’s for a cutting-edge control facility for a new or growing airport. Perhaps an airport needs to replace an ageing tower to save on maintenance or maybe it’s looking to create a contingency facility. There is no one size fits all digital tower model for all these different needs.

During this session, learn about the five digital tower options offered by NATS and Searidge Technologies; each model designed to address a different need or challenge, while all operating on the same software platform, with access to the same range of smart tools and AI-enabled enhancements.

Delivering the Future of Queue Management Today
Wednesday 27 October, 15:10 – 15:30, Aireon Spotlight Stage

As ANSPs around the world make increasing use of aircraft Performance Based Navigation capabilities to systemise their airspace, new tools are needed to ensure they deliver on their potential. NATS has created a roadmap to develop the current suite of Queue Management capabilities to optimise arrival and departure operations, with increased tool and airspace inter-operability. Find out how these tools will be evolving in the future and the benefits they can provide today.

To pre-arrange an interview on these or other topics, please contact the NATS press office at [email protected] or call 01489 615945.