Thales to Supply WAM Systems to Airports in Cambodia

Thales has won a contract to supply two Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) systems for the Terminal Maneuvering Area of Siem Reap and Phnom Penh airports.

The systems will be operated by Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS), a subsidiary of SAMART Corporation, a Thai ICT Group company.

The WAM systems have been designed to maximize usage of the existing ATM infrastructure for CATS. Through this contract, the existing Thales ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast) Ground Stations will become an integral part of the WAM systems.

Surveillance data from all sensors will be processed and displayed at the Thales TopSky-ATC system in Phnom Penh, fostering the highest level of air traffic safety. In addition, Thales WAM systems’ precision will help optimize air traffic across Cambodian airspace, hence reducing aviation related CO2 emissions.

CATS provides air traffic control services, both civil and military airspace, throughout Cambodia.

Tourism, a key pillar of the Cambodian economy, accounting for over 16% of GDP, has contributed to the rise in passenger traffic at both airports.

Year-on-year activity for these hubs has exceeded expectations in both passenger numbers and airplane movements. For the January/June 2015 period alone, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap respectively saw a 16% and 11% increase in passengers in comparison with the same period in 2014.

Flight movements recorded for the same period were 15,000 at Phnom Penh and over 18,800 at Siem Reap, testament to the strong growth potential in the country.