By Ma. Cristina Arayata/PNA
MANILA — The country will soon complete the transition to a new air traffic management system, as aviation officials held a cutover rites of the new Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC) at the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) compound in Manila on Monday afternoon.
The new system will help improve ASEAN connectivity, enhance aviation safety, optimize Philippine airspace, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and promote greener skies, according to CAAP.
CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio earlier told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that the Communications, Navigation, Surveillance / Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) system will enhance the safety and efficiency of air traffic, therefore enabling a more definite aircraft identification and better airspace management.
Last month, a number of flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) were affected by CAAP’s request to airlines to reduce the number of their flights, as the agency worked on the air navigational transition phase.
The transition phase is the “migration from the old Manila ACC radar, which has a limited capacity, to the CNS-ATM system, which could cover the whole country,” Apolonio said.
He added that reducing the number of flights was part of the safety measure during this transition phase.
CAAP reported that last Nov. 15 and Dec. 15, the Manila and Clark airspace radar approach control service were successfully transferred to the new ATMC.
In April 2019, the Davao airspace radar approach control service will be transferred to the new ATMC, completing the transition of approach facilities to the new ATMC, CAAP added.
Meanwhile, aside from control tower upgrades, the new ATMC will also house the country’s Aeronautical Information Service (AIS), the Manila Aeronautical Data Communication Center (ADCC), and the Philippine Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Center (PARCC).
