Intelligent Approach solution is incorporated into Indra's air traffic system
Indra's ManageAir air traffic management system, one of the most widely used in control centres and airports around the world, now incorporates NATS and Leidos' Intelligent Approach system.
Intelligent Approach has been deployed at some of the world's busiest airports to provide additional tactical capacity, increasing punctuality and reducing emissions per flight.
The system has been operating continuously at Heathrow Airport since 2015 and has been commissioned at Toronto Pearson Airport in 2022 and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in early 2023. Once operational at Amsterdam, it contributed to increasing the airport's capacity by six additional landings per hour per runway.
Cooperation agreement
The cooperation agreement between the three companies means that users of Indra's air traffic management system, which is used in 50 countries, will have the option to integrate Intelligent Approach fully into their operations, including time-based separation and vortex wake recategorisation.
Intelligent Approach allows air traffic controllers to space aircraft approaching runways based on time rather than distance, thereby maximising runway capacity and reducing delays, fuel consumption and emissions per flight. The system dynamically calculates the optimal time between arrivals based on aircraft size and type along with runway occupancy time.
The solution uses the latest vortex wake categorisation techniques to dynamically calculate the separation between landings based on actual wind conditions, rather than relying on pre-defined forecasts and distances.
It has also demonstrated its ability to increase the capacity of existing airport runways without the need to install additional equipment or infrastructure.
Indra CEO José Vicente de los Mozos said: "This collaboration enables us to accelerate the introduction of innovative solutions that drive more efficient and sustainable aviation. We provide our customers with quick and easy access to the most advanced technologies that have demonstrated real ability to improve their operations".
Javier Ruano, CEO of ATM at Indra, underlined that "Indra's long-term collaboration with the air navigation service providers it works with and with the entire ecosystem of companies related to air traffic in general is allowing us to make rapid progress in the development and implementation of the cutting-edge solutions that the sector is demanding".
Martin Rolfe, CEO of NATS, said: "Intelligent Approach has proven to elevate runway capacity wherever it has been deployed. This new agreement enables Indra's customers around the world to enjoy these benefits, increasing their operational efficiency, punctuality and fuel consumption per flight".
Graham Emmons, vice president and general manager, civil, Leidos UK and Europe said: "This is an important milestone for Intelligent Approach, as more airports globally will be able to take advantage of the benefits it offers. As we have seen in our most recent deployments, Intelligent Approach not only brings operational benefits to existing airport infrastructure, but also contributes to environmental benefits. These include reducing CO2 emissions and reducing the use of runways that can generate noise. We look forward to supporting future deployments".
