iTEC celebrates at the World ATM Congress its next step in the digitalisation of the European sky

The iTEC Alliance has presented its progress in the development of the iTEC Air Traffic Control system at an event held during the World ATM Congress 2022 in Madrid. The ANSPs from Germany (DFS), the United Kingdom (NATS), Spain (ENAIRE), the Netherlands (LVNL), Norway (Avinor), Lithuania (Oro Navigacija) and Poland (PANSA), which make up the iTEC alliance together with Indra as technology provider, have defined a new package of operational improvements and state-of-the-art architectural solutions to give a new boost to the development of a system that is key to the creation of the Single European Sky. 

The new developments are built on the robustness of a state-of-the-art iTEC to manage some of the most complex and busiest airspaces in Europe. The control centres run by NATS in Prestwick, DFS in Karlsruhe and also Oro Navigacija in Vilnius, already operate with this system. Meanwhile, ENAIRE has already incorporated some of its most relevant features, and PANSA is continuing work to its deployment at the contingency control centre in Poznań. 

This new impetus to the technological development of the iTEC system will enable the members of the alliance to lead the transformation of the industry in the coming years. 

In this context, during 2021 iTEC completed the evaluation of new developments, in 8 sessions involving simultaneously more than 100 participants (operational and technical) from the 7 iTEC ANSPs and Indra. 

The next step for iTEC is the contract signed between Avinor and Indra for the digitalisation of the Norwegian sky. Avinor will put the iTEC system into operation in 2025 at the Oslo and Stavanger area control centres, which manage the southern part of Norwegian airspace. The Avinor iTEC system will automate many tasks for air traffic controllers, enable efficiency in the airspace and increase the predictability for airlines. This will contribute to reduce fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and the costs for airlines. 

This contract is an important step in Avinor’s long term strategy of digitalization throughout the company. The system is a key enabler in terms of making it possible for Norway to comply with several regulatory requirements related to the Single European Sky programme in the years to come.