AFL seals deal with Australian firm

Airports Fiji Limited has awarded Australian based firm, Ambidji Group the contract to train Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) on the use of Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) for surveillance control at the Nadi International Airport.

AFL’s Manager Air Traffic Services, Vula Seru told FijiLive Ambidji will develop the ATC operating concept and a training program..

The new system determines aircraft positions by triangulating aircraft transponder signals at multiple ground stations and complementing this information with ADS-B to send the information via satellite to a controller’s station.

Seru said that the AFL board has approved an amount around FJD $1million for the ‘Training of Controllers’.

He also said that the implementation of this technology is seen as a highly cost-effective solution that obviates the need for expensive radar systems by AFL.

Meanwhile, the training is expected to begin late in 2012 before certification by Fiji’s Civil Aviation Authority and planned introduction in 2013.

Ambidji last worked with AFL on the planning and financing of capital development programs and flight procedure design.

By Indrani Krishna