CNS-ATM Goes Full Blast

8 November 2018

The Philippines will begin its full transition to new Communications, Navigation, Surveillance and Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) Systems that would beef up the country’s civil air traffic services beginning November 14.

The transition process from the old radar system to the new air navigation system would affect flights to and from Manila starting 5 a.m. of November 14 until 5 p.m. of November 20.

During transition phase, four arrival and departure flights will be canceled per hour at Ninoy Aquino International Airport according to Civil Aviation Authority (CAAP) for safety purposes.

CAAP said airlines are already notified of the volume reduction for the entire week and are cancelling flights during the entire duration of the upgrade process. Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Air Asia already cancelled flights on affected dates.

Once the new CNS ATM Center becomes fully operational, the CAAP thru ATS will start to reduce the horizontal separation standard for all enroute traffic from a minimum of 80NM to 50NM.

All ATS routes in Manila FIR has already been converted to RNP10 (Required Navigation Performance) at or above FL290. After activation, ATS routes will be upgraded to RNP4 for enroute traffic and RNP2 for domestic traffic which will be implemented in Q4 of 2019 pending guidance material on communication and separation.

The project was funded in part by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with a grant of 22,049 million yen and is expected to provide more efficient and safer air traffic flow management in the Philippines.

The project includes the establishment of a central traffic control complex housed in the CAAP office in Manila, and 10 radar sites covering the entire Philippine Flight Information Region.

Package 1 of the CNS/ATM project constitutes the construction of the ATM Center building and the ATM Automation System, which involves the installation of the latest Eurocat system with an integrated Digital Voice Control System, Aeronautical Information System, Automated Message Handling System, Aeronautical Telecommunications Network Router, Global Navigation Satellite System monitoring and metrological systems.

The project's Package 2 includes the installation of an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Ground Station, En-route Radar (Secondary Surveillance Radar Mode-S), Terminal Radar (Airport Surveillance Radar/Secondary Surveillance Radar), VHF Terminal and Remote Control Air-Ground Communications facility, Microwave link and Very Small Aperture Terminal.

The CNS/ATM Systems Development Project was first conceptualized in 1994 in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Global Air Navigation Plan, and would replace the aging vital communications, surveillance, and air traffic control equipment at selected airports nationwide.

Additional en-route surveillance radars are installed in Aparri, Laoag, Cebu-Mt Majic, Quezon-Palawan, Zamboanga, and new airport surveillance radars are installed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2, Mactan, Bacolod, Kalibo, and Davao.

Package 3 of the project involves the installation of three more controlled airspace TMAs (Terminal Management Area), in Kalibo, Bacolod and Davao which will be provided with radar approach service in the CNS ATM Center, while additional airport surveillance radars in Puerto Princesa, Cagayan De Oro and Iloilo are likewise being constructed and is slated for completion in 2019.

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