Airport Operator and Airlines Join FAA in Real-time View of Airport Surface Operations for Improved Situational Awareness
EAST SYRACUSE, NY – June 22, 2009 – The Port Authority of New York/New Jersey (PANYNJ) and authorized airlines, through the Aviation Development Council (ADC), now have access to Sensis Aerobahn® airport automation and management tool at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). ADC is sublicensing Aerobahn to PANYNJ, airlines and cargo carriers that operate out of JFK, providing key stakeholders with airport surface traffic and operational data that will enable fewer delays, improve airport efficiency and reduce operating costs for airlines. PANYNJ and the airlines join the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) who is already using Aerobahn at JFK.
Sensis Aerobahn combines airside operational information, such as flight schedules, with the exact location and identification of aircraft on the surface of the airport for a real-time, comprehensive view of surface operations. At JFK, the FAA’s Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X (ASDE-X), an airport surface surveillance system deployed by Sensis, provides the highly accurate aircraft location and identification data to Aerobahn.
“With Sensis Aerobahn, the Port Authority and the airline users will have the ability to better manage daily operations at JFK by having critical information that can significantly reduce taxi times and surface delays,” said Bill Huisman, executive director of ADC. “This important operational system can also help to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, while providing a better travel experience to JFK’s passengers.”
Sensis Aerobahn supplies users with a real-time situational display of aircraft and vehicles on the airport surface. Aerobahn enables users to observe departure queues, view actual arrival demand and contrast the demand with available gates for arriving aircraft. Users can also set Aerobahn to provide a visual alert when performance thresholds, such as taxi-out times, are met or exceeded. All events are recorded for future playback, providing users with the ability to identify trends, develop new procedures to mitigate delays or similar events in the future and provide justification for process improvements. For irregular operations, such as bad weather, users will have better situational awareness of aircraft location and the elapsed time of specific events, such as deicing operations. In addition, users can customize their view and tools within Aerobahn to maximize use of the service.
“To realize the full advantage of airport automation technology, all key stakeholders – the air navigation service provider, the airlines and the airport – must have access to the same information,” said Tony Lo Brutto, vice president and general manager of Sensis Air Traffic Systems. “At JFK, this scenario is a reality through Sensis Aerobahn. As a result, the stakeholders have access to the most timely and accurate data available to improve collaborative decision-making and airport management.”
Sensis Aerobahn is operational in North America, Europe and Asia, providing airlines, airports and air navigation service providers with visibility into the status of critical airside operations. Aerobahn customers include Continental Airlines at Houston Intercontinental and Newark Liberty International Airports; Northwest Airlines at Detroit Metro and Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airports; Federal Aviation Administration at John F. Kennedy International Airport; Port of Seattle at Seattle –Tacoma International Airport; Service de la Navigation Aerienne for Paris Orly and Charles de Gaulle Airports; and the Civil Aviation Department for Hong Kong International Airport. Aerobahn will also be deployed at Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney Airports, Australia.
ABOUT SENSIS CORPORATION
Sensis Corporation provides sensors, information technology, and simulation and modeling to the world’s air navigation service providers, civil aviation authorities, airports, airlines and militaries. Sensis Corporation solutions are deployed around the world. For more information regarding Sensis Corporation, visit www.sensis.com.
ABOUT AVIATION DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
The Aviation Development Council (ADC) is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to cultivate a positive environment for the advancement of aviation in the New York metropolitan area by promoting a business-minded, community-friendly agenda for both the region’s aviation industry and the communities it serves. ADC is funded by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the airlines that operate at all Port Authority managed airports in our region. For more information, visit www.adcnynj.org.
