Air traffic controllers say new system 'not safe'
02.03.11
Technology being introduced at one of the two major UK air traffic control centres is ‘not fit for purpose’ and did not adequately handle a breakdown in air traffic communications, ZDNET reports air traffic controllers have said. The EFD (Electronic Flight Data) system being rolled out at the Scottish and Oceanic Air Traffic Control (ATC) Centre at Prestwick Airport has had difficulty handling complex inputs, according to those posting on an aviation forum.
One Prestwick based controller, Arty-Ziff, said on the Pprune forum: ‘[Controllers] don't want to use this system, not because they like to have a whinge, but because they know it is neither safe, nor efficient enough to do the job. This system should have been tested properly before it went into live operations.’
Another, maintainhighspeed, said: ‘EFD is used in Nigeria, Israel and various towers. This system has experienced nothing as complex as the Prestwick Control Centre. It is struggling. I strongly feel that EFD is not capable of handling an Oceanic interface, ATSOCAS [Air Traffic Services Outside Controlled Airspace], procedural control, airways, single-man and double-man operation all in one.'
EFD uses electronic flight data strips called smartStrips to log aircraft locations and commands, rather than the paper strips currently used in ATC. The technology used at Prestwick is being implemented by UK air traffic control company National Air Traffic Service (NATS) at Prestwick on a rolling basis. It is currently being used by controllers looking after West 2 LAG, the sector that covers Manchester in a 100-mile radius around the airport runway.
The phasing-in began on January 28, but has suffered problems, including latency and screens not working, according to forum posts. ‘My worry is that for a busy session, EFD will not be as quick or as robust as paper strips,’ Pprune member anotherthing wrote, who noted concerns that controllers might miss conflicts with electronic strips.
However, Theodor Zeh, director of Austria-based Frequentis, the provider of the technology, said the EFD system is capable of handling the real-time air traffic at Prestwick. He said that problems had been ironed out in live testing, adding: ‘The last big change to air traffic management was the introduction of radar 50 years ago. When change comes, it can be extremely painful and difficult. Any change will decrease the performance of a system for a certain amount of time.'
He said that the problems lie in air traffic controllers feeling comfortable with the interface. ‘This is about how to implement functionality so controllers are fully confident, not [about] the capacity of the system. We fully understand where this comes from — air traffic controllers are really working in an extremely difficult environment — but change needs to be brought in.’
A spokesman for NATS said: ‘We don't comment on internet chat room rumours.'
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