The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ) has selected Saab Sensis Corporation, a subsidiary of defense and security company Saab, to provide its Aerobahn® airport surface management system and departure management services for the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) ground management program. Saab Sensis will be enhancing and expanding its Aerobahn system already in operational use at JFK with a number of new features, including their proprietary Departure Management System that applies ration-by-schedule logic and departure sequence algorithms to reduce fuel burn and maximize airport efficiency. In addition, PANYNJ will be extending Aerobahn to LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark Liberty (EWR) International Airports, resulting in the aviation industry’s first comprehensive, multi-airport Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) environment.
Saab Sensis will integrate its Departure Metering and Sequencing tool into Aerobahn and will manage and staff the JFK Departure Metering Coordination Center through its partner, Robinson Aviation (RVA), Inc. The Aerobahn Departure Metering tool will provide airline and terminal stakeholders with automated flight metering assignments to improve the departure sequencing process for further reduction in taxi times and more efficient use of runways. The Saab Sensis solution builds on the Port’s existing departure management program by integrating disparate systems and providing additional functionality and capabilities appropriate for the operational challenges of one of the world’s most complex airports.
By extending Aerobahn to LGA and EWR, PANYNJ is creating the industry’s first metroplex-wide CDM solution where the airport operator (PANYNJ), authorized airlines and the air navigation service provider (FAA) will all have access to the same situational awareness of ground operations and tools to effectively make informed decisions across the New York metroplex. The Port’s Aerobahn system will be augmented with a number of new features, including the Aerobahn Predictive Engine (to provide realistic future taxi time, airport demand and capacity information), emissions tracking (accessible through its reporting tool), integrated air traffic control audio, weather data and Enhanced Dynamic Rules (the ability to alert on forecasted demand and departure metering conditions).
Aerobahn combines airside operational information, such as flight schedules, planned arrival and departure gates and passenger/bag connection information, with precise aircraft and vehicle surveillance and identification for a real-time, comprehensive view of surface operations. In addition, Aerobahn offers a number of customizable tools that enable proactive management of surface operations, including departure/arrival queues, runway use status, and traffic flow monitoring, resulting in less emissions and improved operational performance. Aerobahn’s Dynamic Rules event alerting capability empowers users to create customized alerts for critical operating conditions such as arrival and departure rates, gate utilization, or long on-board delays. All events are recorded for future playback to identify trends and develop new procedures that mitigate delays or similar events in the future. Aerobahn also provides users with the ability to create reports based on numerous variables for detailed analysis of operations.
“The Port is at the forefront of addressing taxi time delays and environmental concerns through a shared operational platform and departure metering solution,” said Ken Kaminski, vice president and general manager of Saab Sensis. “All key JFK stakeholders will have the industry’s most advanced surface management solution at their computer screens, comprising situational awareness, optimized departure sequencing and a number of highly customizable tools to proactively improve the customer’s flying experience across the multiplex.”
PANYNJ first deployed Aerobahn at JFK in 2009 where the system is used by PANYNJ, authorized airlines and a number of Federal Aviation Administration users as the common, shared platform to proactively address airport congestion and delays. Aerobahn was an integral component of the successful Bay Runway reconstruction project by providing situational awareness of ground operations in support of the mandated departure metering procedures.
Aerobahn is the most widely deployed airport surface management system in the industry, being used by airlines, airport operators and air navigation service providers (ANSPs) around the world.
Saab Sensis Corporation provides the defense and aviation markets with advanced sensor technologies, next-generation radars, automation, modeling and simulation solutions. The company serves military, civil aviation, airport and airline customers in more than 35 countries across six continents.
Saab North America provides a broad range of products, services and solutions ranging from military defence to homeland security to customers in the U.S and Canada. Saab Sensis Corporation is a business unit of the Saab Group.
