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Issue 1 2012 / 7 February 2012 /
The Met Office works across all areas of the aviation industry to help ensure safe and efficient operations. We provide a wide range of services such as specialist web sites, forecaster telephone advice, SMS text alerts and high resolution data services to name a few. These services are tailored to meet the needs of various users so that they have the most accurate information to support their weather dependant decision making, and we also add further value by simplifying the interpretation of meteorological conditions and their impact on airport, aircraft and air traffic management operations.
Delivering weather forecasts and advice that is easy to access, easy to understand and directly relevant for specific purposes is very important. However, without timely and highly accurate content, forecasts will be severely degraded. To achieve the necessary standards presents a significant technological challenge as creating forecasts is a complex process. (more…)
Issue 6 2011 / 8 December 2011 /
In 2012, ICAO will convene a landmark air navigation conference that will seek agreement on the strategic plan to set the stage for globally interoperable Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems. These systems will be implemented based on the Aviation System Block Upgrade (ASBU) concept. The ASBU approach calls for a flexible, tailored upgrade path based on a series of blocks and modules designed to enhance safety, address future air transport growth and reduce emissions.
ICAO estimates that over $120 billion will be spent on the transformation of air transportation systems in the next 10 years. While NextGen and SESAR in the United States and Europe account for a large share of this spending, parallel initiatives are underway in many other States, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Japan and the Russian federation.
Modernisation is an enormously complex task but one which the industry absolutely requires. It is clear that to safely and efficiently accommodate projected increases in air traffic demand – as well as respond to the diversified needs of operators, the environment and other inherent issues -it is necessary to evolve Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems in order to provide greater operational benefits. (more…)
Issue 6 2011 / 8 December 2011 /
The airline industry is facing enormous challenges today and even more so in the future. The continuing increase of passenger and freight transport demand, the competition among airlines and the resulting cost pressure forces airlines to continually adapt and optimise their processes. In addition, the cost of delays for all involved stakeholders can no longer be ignored5.
Regarding the costs and revenues of an airline, the utilisation of its fleet plays a key role, which in turn is determined both by air traffic as well as ground operations. There are many parties involved and the processes that determine the utilisation are interdependent and complex4. When taking a closer look at ground processes, the turn time, i.e. the time period an airplane is on the ground, is of crucial importance for airlines as well as for airports3. For example, a short turn time, allows hub airports to offer shorter minimum connecting times to airlines.
Depending on the customer service policy of an airline, besides efficient processes and short turn times, a specified level in customer satisfaction needs to be achieved. This is, however, quite often at a cost to efficiency. Hence, feasible solutions need to address both aspects. (more…)
Issue 6 2011 / 8 December 2011 /
The history of the world includes many well known inventions which have had a significant influence on technological developments. One of these is the Dynamometer, a device used for measuring force, moment of force (torque) and power. Dynamometers have been a vital and necessary component in instruments that can identify the friction developed between a tyre and the surface it acts upon.
The principle used is an invention that is nearly 450 years old. The instrument indicates weight or pressure by making use of Hookes law1 of elasticity which states that “the extension of a spring is in direct proportion with the load applied to it”. In this article we will look into the history of tractive resistance within the transportation sector up to the advent of the jet aircraft.
France, 1798
Long before the birth of aviation, in the early 1780s Edme Régnier started the development of what came to be known as The Régnier Dynamometer2. Régnier was encouraged by two naturalists (Buffon and Guéneau of Montbelliard) who desired a device by which a man’s strength would be rendered comparable to that of another. The French revolution came, Buffon and Guéneau died and Régnier became inspector of the manufacture of portable arms. In 1796 the physician Coulomb urged Régnier to resume his work in view of the developing industry. Régnier’s Description et usage du Dynamomtre appeared in 1798. (more…)
Issue 5 2011 / 5 October 2011 /
The Australian Government’s 2009 National Aviation Policy White Paper, ‘Flight Path to the Future’, outlined Australian aviation’s contribution of more than half a million jobs and $6.3 billion to the national economy. But constraints at busy gateway airports such as Sydney, particularly during peak traffic periods, have the potential to adversely affect this community benefit and limit industry growth.
As the country’s air navigation service provider, Airservices Australia is working closely with the airport, airlines, operators and the community to achieve operational and environmental efficiencies using the existing infrastructure. We are also introducing new airborne and ground-based systems to handle rapid predicted future growth.
Considered as the gateway to Australia, Sydney Airport is the country’s busiest in terms of total passenger numbers and aircraft movements. Use of the three runways at Sydney Airport is restricted by a curfew between 11pm and 6am designed to provide noise amelioration to a population of four million in the greater Sydney area. (more…)
Issue 5 2011 / 5 October 2011 /
The future Air Traffic Management (ATM) system will rely on advanced data exchange and data sharing services that communicate aeronautical information (infrastructure, route network, aerodrome, terrain, obstacle data) into the operational activities on the ground and in the air.
The Aeronautical Information Exchange Model (AIXM) is a specification that enables the encoding and the distribution in digital format of the aeronautical information. Although the term ‘aeronautical information’ might sound relatively generic, it clearly links AIXM to the ICAO Annex 15 – Aeronautical Information Services, which defines the information that ICAO contracting states have to provide internationally. This is also the primary scope of AIXM, which aims to support the transition from what is frequently referred to as ‘the current paper-based AIS system’ towards a more efficient and more capable Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) system, based on digital data exchange. (more…)
Issue 5 2011 / 5 October 2011 /
The next time you pass through security at a major Canadian airport, you may find the queues moving a little faster than usual. That’s because the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) is making a number of innovative improvements to the security screening process for a better passenger experience.
The move towards more passenger-focused air travel is one that requires collaboration on the part of all players in the aviation industry, making the timing of this shift critical. In the aftermath of September 11, the industry was scrambling to operate within a new reality and security was, understandably, the overriding focus. But with 10 years behind us, CATSA is working within a much more mature security framework as it relates to the aviation industry where organisations such as ours must widen our approach to providing services to include the needs of the industry as well as the protection of the passenger. This means not only delivering screening services effectively and efficiently, but also considering the requirements of airports, airlines and other partners, as well as passengers. (more…)
Issue 5 2011 / 5 October 2011 /
Flight 1549, ‘The miracle on the Hudson’ brought the risks aircraft face from birdstrikes to a worldwide audience. For those involved in managing this risk, it merely re-confirmed the potentially catastrophic consequences such events can have.
Birdstrikes are not an uncommon feature of air travel. Thousands of events occur around the world each year with the vast majority having little or no impact upon a flight. Managing the risks from events that do have the potential to cause damage, however, requires an understanding of how birds behave, what it is that attracts birds to a given environment, and what techniques and measures can be deployed to reduce the likelihood of a strike? Risk assessment therefore becomes the key driver for determining how and where management resources should be best deployed.
Whilst this process had lagged behind many other areas of the aviation industry, there are now very well accepted methods used for identifying birdstrike risks. Wherever possible, recording the type of bird involved in a strike is critical to this process. Modern techniques mean there is now virtually no reason for not being able to identify the species of bird involved in a strike. (more…)
Issue 5 2011 / 5 October 2011 /
Clean Sky is the most ambitious aeronautical research programme ever launched in Europe. Its mission is to develop breakthrough technologies to significantly increase the environmental performances of airplanes and air transport, resulting in less noisy and more fuel efficient aircraft, hence making a key contribution to achieving the Single European Sky environmental objectives.
In this interview, Eric Dautriat, Clean Sky Executive Director, outlines the main characteristics of Clean Sky JTI, presents the perspectives beyond 2017 and shares his views on how to reach the strategic objectives of the ‘Flightpath 2050’. (more…)
Issue 4 2011 / 8 August 2011 /
As the Indian aviation market continues its growth, the involvement of Shell Aviation Fuels has had much influence. International Airport Review spoke to CEO Sanjay Varkey to find out why the Indian market will continue to flourish.
IAR: Shell Aviation first began its operations in India back in 2008 at Bangalore and Hyderabad Airports respectively, with nine further airports in the three years since. Has the growth in aviation in that part of the world meant that the expansion into those nine other airports was inevitable? Could it have been quicker?
SV: When Shell MRPL Aviation Fuels and Services Private Limited (SMA) launched aviation fuel operations in India in 2008, Bangalore and Hyderabad were the country’s only two open access airports. Further expansions in India needed to align with access, permissions and developments at airports. In the two years since then, SMA has concluded industry first infrastructure sharing agreements in India that have enabled a rapid network expansion. Shell is currently the only multinational oil company with a government license to market aviation fuels in India. The network expansion into 12 airports across the country reinforces our strong focus on this market, which is growing at a remarkable rate. (more…)
Issue 4 2011 / 8 August 2011 /
Since the devastating terrorist attacks of 9/11, the threat of further atrocities has been at the forefront of the national agenda. Almost 10 years on and the security landscape has changed dramatically, with these changes most apparent in the aviation sector. Moreover, the recent announcement of the death of Osama Bin Laden has provided a stark reminder of the risk the UK continues to face, with the Government warning of an increased likelihood of retaliatory attacks. As such, the role of aviation security is bound to remain critical in the fight against terrorism.
For many of us, it has been hard to believe that almost 10 years have passed since the World Trade Centre attacks of 9/11, bringing the aviation security industry firmly into the spotlight. Since then, airport security has been at the forefront of counter terror measures, as procedures and technology are continually updated to face the ever changing security threat. (more…)
Issue 3 2011 / 10 June 2011 /
In railroad engineering, the factor of adhesion of a locomotive is the weight on the driving wheels divided by the ‘starting tractive effort’. Adding extra power serves no purpose since there is not enough traction (adhesion, friction) to create useful work. The factor of adhesion which is 25% of the weight on drivers, corresponds to the co-efficiency of friction for steel-on-steel with an oxide surface film of μ = 0.25.
Within aviation we are constantly in search of the ‘stopping tractive effort’. The term ‘braking action’ has been used to describe this. It is not an accurate description since its use is not consistent. In the U.S. the term relates to the pilot reports only, within ICAO it has been used for both pilot reports and the reporting of runway surface conditions. A letter is due to be sent out to American States requesting feedback on the subject. In due course, this may result in changes across all levels. (more…)
Issue 3 2011 / 10 June 2011 /
Air traffic is expected to nearly double during the next two decades, raising public concern over not only the environmental impact but also how airspace capacity around airports will need to increase. This latter aspect also raises concerns over increased noise pollution and emissions around airports. In addition, industry has its concerns too – in that current ATC systems will not be able to accommodate the projected increase in air traffic.
Thankfully, all of the above issues are being addressed by two programmes that are in the process of revamping ATM (or ‘modernising the skies’). These programmes are, in the U.S., the FAA’s Next Generation (NextGen) Air Transport System and, in Europe, the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) programme. (more…)
Issue 2 2011 / 11 April 2011 /
In the early afternoon of 7 January, 2009, a Continental Airlines Boeing 737 airliner lifted off the tarmac of Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport with a blend of biofuel and conventional petroleum-derived fuel feeding one of its two CFM International jet engines.
This event, along with three similar demon stration flights by Air New Zealand, Japan Airlines, and KLM marked a major step forward in addressing one of commercial aviation’s most pressing concerns. The airlines need sustainable alternative fuels to address a myriad of environmental and economic challenges, and these flights demonstrated that they could soon have what they want. (more…)
Issue 2 2011 / 11 April 2011 /
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is dedicated to protecting our Nation’s transportation systems and safeguarding the travelling public. We face an adaptive adversary who seeks vulnerabilities in our system and, as a result, TSA must employ new methods to stay ahead of evolving threats. Security technologies, such as Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT), are a critical part of this effort.
Based upon the latest intelligence and after studying all available technologies, the TSA has concluded AIT is the most effective method to detect threat items concealed on passengers while maintaining efficient checkpoint screening operations. (more…)
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