Thales has been selected by Air New Zealand, New Zealand’s air navigation service provider (ANSP) which monitors all air traffic in the country, for the supply of a nationwide ADS-B network.
The contract has been awarded following an international tender and a set of trials. The ADS-B network Thales will supply includes 28 locations equipped with Ground Stations to ensure full air traffic surveillance in areas with limited radar coverage, such as Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne and much of the South Island’s west coast.
Air New Zealand is ranked in the top 5% of the most efficient ANSPs in the world. They have recently deployed a number of improvements that have reduced in-flight delays from three minutes to less than 23 seconds, successfully saving $16 million per annum in airline fuel. These successes come in the face of significant growth in passenger numbers in the country, which is expected to surpass 4.5 million annually by 2022.
As a result, Air New Zealand has identified ADS-B technology as essential to maintain operational excellence. In addition to optimizing air traffic by safely reducing aircraft separation, ADS-B technology will help reduce CO2 emission, a very important Government policy in New Zealand.
Air New Zealand Chief Operating Officer Pauline Lamb said: “The network will provide a more detailed picture of our airspace than is currently possible with radar”.
The Thales ATM is the world’s largest footprint with 360 TopSky ATM solutions, 7,000 Navaids, 680 radars, 1,800 ADS-/MLAT stations, and over 16,000 controllers utilizing Thales solutions.
Two out of three aircraft take off, reach their destination and land thanks to Thales’ systems.
Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defense and Security markets. With 62,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of €14 billion in 2015.
With over 22,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design and deploy equipment, systems and services to meet the most complex security requirements. Its unique international footprint allows it to work closely with its customers all over the world.
