Australia helps air agency upgrade infrastructure

 AIR Services Limited is upgrading its infrastructure under its modernisation programme with the help of Air Services Australia. 

Air Trafic Services executive manager Phil Irvine said the next 12 months should see a roll-out of communication infrastructure, including very high frequency radio and surveillance systems. “Through 2016 and into 2017, the ATM automation system will come on-line, as will the new HF radio network,” he said.

“During this period, we aim to deliver new Global Navigation Satellite System approaches for the country’s 31 airports.”

The system pinpoints the geographic location of the user or aircraft through information transmitted via a number of satellites.

The existing secondary surveillance radar system will be replaced with a state-of-the-art Mode S radar system with a multi-lateration to provide back up surveillance at the Jackson airport terminal area. The Automated Dependent Surveillance Broadcast will oversee most of PNG’s airspace and those of neighboring countries. 

The company began its modernisation programme following the signing of an agency support arrangement with Australia for a K58m funding over five years. Irvine said the current air traffic management system was a very basic system of the 1990s technology which used paper flight progress strips. He said the modernation programme will help boost the activities of the air traffic services to deliver its services effectively.