Indra modernizes Morocco’s air traffic management with the latest technology to make it more sustainable and efficient

Indra, a leading global technological engineering company for the aerospace, defence and mobility sectors, has implemented a new-generation air traffic management system in Morocco to increase its air traffic management capacity and contribute to making it more sustainable.

ONDA (Organisation Nationale de la Sécurité Aérienne), the Moroccan air navigation service provider, which previously relied on Indra’s technology, selected the ManagAir air traffic automation solution, one of the most advanced systems in the world, with the aim of positioning itself as a key air navigation operator in the region.

Thanks to Indra’s ManagAir system, ONDA will be able to manage air traffic more seamlessly and efficiently and increase its capacity by introducing the 'free route' concept, which optimizes trajectories and significantly reduces CO2 emissions, one of the Kingdom of Morocco’s sustainability commitments.

The new solution will also guarantee the coordination of Morocco with the other AEFMP member States, namely Algeria, Spain, France and Portugal, bringing greater fluidity to the airspace and guaranteeing continuity in the provision of air navigation services in the area.

“Our company is going to use the most modern air traffic control system in the world. With ManagAir, we’re also ready to implement the European Commission’s Single European Sky objectives for the technical competence of air navigation service providers.  We’ve taken the first step in the process of increasing the potential of the new system and the experience of its users”, emphasized Hicham Abdelaziz Moumni, ONDA’s air navigation area manager.

“The success of this migration is the result of a close and productive partnership with our customer ONDA.  It’s now equipped with the world’s first air traffic control service solution for routes and approaches, bringing significant improvements in air traffic management that will include a better user interface, simple, safe and protected access and a higher degree of automation”, stated Federico Rueda, director of Indra’s ATM business.

The migration to the new system, which will take place in two phases, is being carried out in close cooperation with EUROCONTROL, the European air navigation safety organization, in order to implement the relevant measures for a potential regulation of traffic flows in Moroccan airspace, and under the supervision of the Moroccan Civil Aviation Authority, which will ensure that the transition process unfolds in accordance with the current regulations.

State-of-the-art solution

ManagAir is one of the most mature, robust, efficient and flexible technologies for airspace management in existence. It incorporates the most advanced 4D trajectory management, conflict detection and safety network functions and it has proven its ability to adapt to the needs of the most demanding air navigation service providers. It complies with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) air traffic management standards and recommended practices. It meets strict safety requirements with high equipment reliability, due to the innovative use of cutting-edge technology.

Indra ManagAir is in operation in two out of three control centers in Latin America, it controls the entire upper sky of Central America and a large part of the Caribbean and it’s used by countries in Europe, the Maghreb and Africa. It’s also the solution chosen by navigation service providers in the Arabian Peninsula, which are upgrading their infrastructures with highly futuristic systems. India, one of the countries where traffic has grown most rapidly in recent years, Mongolia and Vietnam are also using it, as are two of China’s largest air traffic control centers, those in Xiang and Chendgu, which manage an airspace that’s larger than that of the whole of Western Europe.