Indra digitizes Cabo Verde oceanic air traffic control center to reach top levels of safety and efficiency

Indra, a leading global engineering technology company for the aerospace, defence and mobility industries, will digitize and upgrade the Sal Island oceanic air traffic control center and control towers at Santiago, Boa Vista, São Vicente and Sal with state-of-the-art technology to bring air traffic management performance and safety to the highest level. This goal makes the project one of the most important for the future of air navigation in West Africa, given Cabo Verde's role as a gateway to the region.

Sal's oceanic control center provides navigation services to flights arriving at and departing from Cabo Verde and crossing its Flight Information Region (FIR) on routes linking West Africa and Europe with North and South America.

The state-of-the-art systems to be installed by Indra include one of the most advanced automation systems in the market, a latest-generation digital voice-over-IP latest communication control system and a simulator to reinforce air traffic controllers' training.

These solutions will enable Cabo Verde's air navigation service provider ASA to enhance interoperability with other control centers. They will also improve the safety and efficiency of its handling of traffic, giving ASA the flexibility to adapt dynamically to the operational situation and will contribute to compliance with existing and future regulatory requirements.

The project is part of ASA's efforts to modernize air traffic management in the country and consolidate its position as one of the most reliable providers of navigation services for national and international flights and transcontinental routes. The technology will also increase traffic management capacity and enable the country to receive a greater number of visitors, so helping the travel and holiday industry to continue to grow.

ATM Business Development Director at Indra, Enrique Castillo, said: “We are very proud of our work with ASA to provide Cabo Verde with latest generation technology to manage air traffic to the highest levels of safety. Indra has been working in Cabo Verde for almost two decades, providing air traffic management solutions, such as automation, aeronautical information system, navaids and surveillance, and this new project strengthens our partnership.”

The contract reinforces Indra's position as a leading provider of air traffic systems on the African continent, with projects in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. Indra also has a close relationship with ASECNA (Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar) and has completed projects in 49 African countries, helping to modernize infrastructures that are key to the region's development.

Indra is a leading supplier of air traffic management systems with more than 5,700 installations deployed in 180 countries and is at the forefront of the digital transformation of the sector. Eurocontrol, Europe's main air navigation organization, has recently selected the company to fully digitize the integrated Network Manager (iNM), a unique system that is key to coordination of air traffic among 41 states and more than 68 major air traffic control centers. Indra was also one of the first companies in the world to commission remote virtual control tower systems and develop solutions based on artificial intelligence, big data, digitized IP communications and 3D radar specified to withstand wind turbine interference.

As a global leader in engineering technology for the aerospace, defence and mobility sectors, the company is its customers' technology partner for digitization and key operations around the world. Its team of experts and its in-depth knowledge of those businesses and the latest technology, and its leadership in major European innovation programs and projects to design the next generation of technological solutions, give it a differential offering and enable Indra to lead unique, highly innovative projects that will transform the future of these sectors on a global scale in the coming years.