Brazil Upgrades Air Traffic Technology for World Cup and Olympics

In the run up to the FIFA World Cup this year, and the Olympics in 2016, SITA is working with the Comissão de Implantação do Sistema de Controle do Espaço Aéreo (CISCEA) in its drive to upgrade Brazil’s air traffic management technology.

CISCEA is the body responsible for developing and implementing new technologies for DECEA, the Brazilian Air Navigation Service Provider.

SITA already provides Departure Clearance (DCL) and Digital-Automatic Terminal Information Service (D-ATIS) datalink services at both Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo’s GRU Airport. These solutions will now be extended to 23 airports across Brazil.

Major Brigadier Carlos Vuyk de Aquino, President of CISCEA, said, “Brazil has the busiest airspace in South America and we are very proud to be hosting two of the world’s biggest sporting events. We want everyone flying to, from and within Brazil to have smooth and uneventful journeys. It is therefore essential that our air traffic managers have access to the very best technology available.”

“This investment is not only for these big events, but is part of SIRIUS, DECEA’s major modernization program. A cornerstone of this program is the delivery of datalink services at Brazil’s main airports to transform air traffic communications. We have been working with SITA over the past ten years and we are confident that the SITA team will deliver exactly what we need.”

DCL, using SITA’s datalink solution integrated with local systems, streamlines departure control. The pilot requests departure clearance by sending a text message to the control tower and the controller responds, also by datalink. Likewise, using D-ATIS, real-time airport operational and weather information is transmitted to the pilot over datalink. Together DCL and DATIS will reduce overloading of the VHF voice frequency and so improve overall efficiency and safety.

Philip Clinch, SITA Vice President of Aircraft Services, said, “Using datalink makes flying more efficient and even safer. The transmission of data in text format is highly reliable. It reduces workload for both air traffic controllers and pilots by improving the accuracy of their communications. And information can be transmitted at any phase of the flight, in advance of the busy time period of departure and approach.”

The project began in December 2013 and is progressing as planned. The technology is being delivered in batches to four airports at a time and will be completed in time for the Olympic Games in 2016.