Fiumicino Airport launches new AirPort Operations Centre

The new APOC – AirPort Operations Centre, at Fiumicino Leonardo Da Vinci Airport (FCO) is operational as of 24 November 2021. During the inauguration, the CEO of Aeroporti di Roma, Marco Troncone and the Chief Aviation Officer, Ivan Bassato, explained the objectives that led to the construction of this infrastructure, designed as of 2016 as part of the European SESAR projects on the air traffic management of the Single European Sky, as an example of technological innovation, intended to revolutionise the approach of airport operations.

Aeroporti di Roma has long been focusing on innovation and sustainability, pillars of the company’s strategy and it was the strong digitalisation of the Airport Operation Centre that was one of the fundamental factors that led, on 26 October 2021, to obtaining the ‘Digital Transformation Award 2021’ from ACI Europe. Further recognition that highlighted how the focus on recently implemented systems and software, especially in APOC, has made Fiumicino one of the most innovative airports in Europe.

CEO of Aeroporti di Roma, Marco Troncone said: “As of today (24 November 2021), Fiumicino takes a further step forward in the path towards the airport of the future: the new APOC integrated control centre, equipped with the best technologies, will allow for an even more effective and greater resilience of airport operations. The technological component will enhance the human factor, as a sign of integration and coordination between all airport operators, which will be able to synergistically manage and monitor all the main processes, from flight operations to the management of passenger and baggage flows. An important result in the framework of the Aeroporti di Roma strategy based on excellence in the quality and safety of services, sustainability and innovation”.

Constructed with a total investment of over €20 million, partly financed by the EU, the APOC occupies an area of ​​approximately 1,900m² and is equipped with state-of-the-art technological systems, designed to guarantee operational continuity even in the event of critical issues and any cyber security attacks. With 16 control rooms and 112 workstations, the APOC has a single work area, in which the main stakeholders of the airport will be able to work side by side and efficiently manage all the actions necessary for the correct execution of the operation of the airport. In the APOC, the flow of aircraft, the flow of passengers inside and outside the terminals, as well as the management of baggage in the two sorting systems will be controlled in real time. The planning and efficiency of airport operations will be optimised and the necessary promptness of response to unforeseen events will be ensured.