Qatar enhances operations with Initial Flight Plan Processing System (IFPS) from Comsoft

The Civil Aviation Authority of Qatar (QCAA) has chosen COMSOFT to deliver a fully automated Initial Flight Plan Processing System (IFPS). The IFPS will be integrated into QCAA's data processing environment to automatically validate and correct all FPL related messages sent from the AFTN to the Flight Data Processing System (FDPS) therefore enhancing the data quality for all flight plan related operations, thus increasing flight safety and reducing the workload for operators.

By default the IFPS at QCAA is designed to support fully automatic, unattended processing, to avoid laborious and time consuming operator corrections, but it will also support a manual message processing mode. Flawless flight plans are an important prerequisite for future automated flow and capacity management and Qatar’s compact airspace, with soaring popularity, required a solution to efficiently manage the increased flight volume.

The IFPS functionality will be available as a module for COMSOFT’s Flight Planning solution CADAS-ATS and will draw on extensive existing database and specialised data processing functions of the CADAS product family.

This project continues the already close and fruitful cooperation between QCAA and COMSOFT. Qatar already operates COMSOFT’s market-leading AMHS solution, AIDA-NG, ASTERIX Qualification tool RAPS-3, and COMSOFT’s aeronautical data access product line, CADAS, providing the full set of integrated Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) functions such as the native AIXM 5 database, flight plan and NOTAM processing as well as COMSOFT’s elaborate eAIP solution.

Being the home base of Qatar Airways, one of the fastest growing airlines in the world with a rapidly growing global network, Qatar is a significant aviation hub with constantly growing traffic. Hamad International Airport, in capital city Doha, opened in April 2014 as Qatar’s new international airport, with a capacity for 30 million passengers per year allowing it to become a gateway to the rest of the world. A huge supplier of oil and gas Qatar’s fast growing economy and expanding population is poised for further development. Plans to increase its capacity to 50 million passengers in time for the 2022 World cup are already in place, emphasising the need for increased automation and efficiency in flight planning and Air Traffic Management capacity.