Leonardo to enhance the control of Malaysian airspace

Leonardo, in partnership with the joint venture AAT (Advanced Air Traffic Systems) and the Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia (CAAM), has recently celebrated the practical completion of the new air traffic control centre in Kuala Lumpur. Leonardo announced the milestone at the World ATM Congress event in Madrid (October 26-28). Leonardo  and AAT were proud to note that they met the milestone despite the harsh conditions imposed by the covid-19 pandemic, emphasizing their expertise in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) domain.

Called “KL ATCC”, the project to enhance the management of Malaysian airspace will include the supply of Leonardo’s LeadInSky, a state of the art ATC automation system which is fully compliant with the ICAO’s international aviation guidelines and regulations. The company will also exploit its world-leading technology to facilitate the integration of communication, navigation, surveillance and Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems, part of continuing efforts to ensure the highest levels of safety and security in the skies.

Fully integrated on a virtual platform, LeadInSky is based on a main operations centre, with a disaster and recovery component and a further backup system which is continuously aligned with both to guarantee the highest level of fault tolerance and system availability. The main operations centre is also linked up with seven remote towers and the military JATCC (Joint Air Traffic Control Centre), ensuring optimized civil-military activities. With LeadInSky’s high level of automation and the restructure of Malaysia’s airspace to add fourteen new dedicated sectors, the overall ATC system will boast significantly increased control capacity, making it fit for the next 10-15 years of operations.

Kuala Lumpur international airport can handle 108 flights landing every hour, with up to three simultaneous landings and optimal runway balancing. The KL ATCC project has seen the installation of 12 new radio stations, 3 new secondary and two primary radars, a GNSS system and an ADS-B system, all integrated into the main centre. Leonardo has also provided a test environment system and a simulation solution for training current and future generations of Malaysian flight controllers.

AAT, a partner of Leonardo for 24 years, is the project’s prime contractor. AAT employs 200 Leonardo-trained engineers who develop and maintain virtually all of Malaysia’s airspace for both civil and military flights. Leonardo has been supplying the existing Malaysian air traffic control system through a full-service contract for 30 years, operating at Kuala Lumpur and all other airports nationwide, supporting  transfer of technology and the development of local expertise in-country. Leonardo’s ongoing collaboration with AAT will spearhead new developments in Malaysia and the wider region to support the ICAO recommendations for the improvement of safety, efficiency and capacity, including “green” compliance.

With an ATC presence in over 150 countries and a broad portfolio of technologies, Leonardo is committed to meeting airport and air transport operators’ present and future needs. At World ATM Congress, the company is marketing its air traffic control solutions, including surveillance sensors, communications, weather radars, navigation aids, runway incursion warning systems and baggage handling technologies. The company’s capabilities in the field also include cyber security solutions and platforms to handle drone traffic management.