Oman begins Air Traffic Management using Indra Systems

Indra has completed deployment of its air traffic control system at the Muscat Air Traffic Control Center, which manages Oman's entire airspace. The new system is already in use to oversee upper air space, supporting flights en route and providing approach control services at Muscat International Airport and approach and control tower services at Salalah Airport.

The latest generation solution features advanced flight plan management tools, flight trajectory calculation systems and conflict detection. These features give the control center far greater flight management capacity, helping authorities to accommodate the traffic growth seen in the country.

The old system used at the center will remain operational as a backup during transition to the new platform. This stage of the project will run until the end of the year.

Air traffic controllers at the Muscat center are also pioneering Indra's newly developed iCWP work station. This control station features a large 56-inch screen, allowing operators to quickly bring up any application on-screen, while providing rapid and easy access to radar information, meteorological data, flight plans or other information, which were previously fragmented across independent systems.

The Oman Minister of Transport and Communications, H.E. Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Salem Al-Futaisi, said that the new center "will tighten air security and help optimize use of the country's airspace."

Indra was hired to modernize Oman's air traffic control systems in 2010. The ambitious project includes a complete overhaul of the country's entire air traffic control systems.

With the Indra system now in service at the Muscat Air Traffic Control Center, the platform will be launched at the two main airports of Muscat and Salalah and at a further four regional airports.

The project will now be completed with rollout of a voice communication system for controllers and pilots, and subsequently a modern surface movement guidance and control system at the two international airports. The company is also finalizing implementation of a meteorological information system.

Indra in the Arabian Peninsula

Indra has a solid position in the region. As well as the Oman air traffic project, the firm is technology partner to the consortium currently building the new Mecca-Medina high-speed rail line.

Indra has also been commissioned to modernize traffic management systems in Kuwait. Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia it has deployed management systems at the combined cycle plant run by the Arabian-Japanese consortium RAWEC; and in Bahrein it has deployed management systems for the Ministry of Electricity and Water, among many other projects.