Gatwick Airport, which currently holds the title of world's busiest single runway airport, has awarded a contract to NATS Services via its new owner – Global Infrastructure Partners. The contract aims to improve the efficiency of operations within the airport, and hopes to cut down aircraft emissions and passenger delays.
NATS Services was chosen by Global Infrastructure Partners to operate its new service, which it has dubbed A-CDM (Airport Collaborative Decision-Making), a service that the company hopes will develop and improve the management of its airfield. Gatwick, with routes to locations as diverse as Las Vegas, Prague and Riga, is the first airport to fully utilise the A-CDM service from NATS.
So what is A-CDM? Well, to put it simply it is the bringing together of all the different aspects of aircraft information onto one hand-held device or screen – information of which may include accurate forecasts of arrival times, current positions and optimum departure sequences. Important information such as this allows managers of air traffic, the airline and even support services to fine-tune daily operational decision-making into a more usable environment.
So how will this new development aid travellers departing to and from the airport? According to Head of Airside Operations at Gatwick, David Wilson, A-CDM will "not only increase the airport's capacity, it will also allow us to improve our aircraft stand management, traffic flows, taxi times and reduce congestion. This is already the world's busiest civil runway, and this will lead to more efficient operations, lower emissions and lower costs for our airlines."
The implementation of upgraded systems can be seen as a positive development for both the airport and its travellers. Gatwick will obviously benefit from smoother operations, and travellers will be set to enjoy more accurate flight information and fewer delays.
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