NAV Portugal celebrates 25 Years of Excellence

NAV Portugal, the Portuguese air navigation service provider, is celebrating the remarkable milestone of 25 years of existence.

With an unwavering commitment to excellence in airspace management in the two flight information regions it serves - Lisbon and Santa Maria - NAV Portugal has played a crucial role in the aviation sector since its foundation, placing safety and innovation as fundamental pillars of its mission.

Over these two and a half decades, NAV Portugal has emerged as a global benchmark in terms of operational efficiency and performance. The company has led the way in innovation, continuously adopting cutting-edge technologies to optimize air navigation services and guarantee a safe airspace for millions of aircraft, passengers and crews.

14 Million Flights Controlled: A Historic Achievement

Standing out on the international stage, NAV Portugal is honored to celebrate the impressive milestone of 14 million controlled flights. This impressive figure not only reflects the airline industry's growing confidence in NAV Portugal's air traffic management capabilities, but also highlights the tireless dedication of the company and its teams to achieving the highest standards of safety and efficiency.

To get an idea of how far the company has come in the last 25 years, it is just worth noting that at the end of 1998 we controlled 357,619 flights. By the end of 2023, we had reached a figure of 852,746. In other words, from 1999 to 2024 we more than doubled the number of flights controlled in the two flight information regions under our responsibility.

Along the way, we have overcome various adversities that have slowed down our sustained growth (some more than others), such as September 11, the global economic crisis, bird flu, the rise in oil prices, the COVID-19 pandemic and, more recently, Russia's invasion of Ukraine - as well as the conflict in the Middle East - and the economic, political and social repercussions of these wars - the evolution of which is still unpredictable.

Continuous Innovation for the Future of Aviation

NAV Portugal has invested significantly in research and development, implementing innovative solutions that constantly improve the efficiency of air traffic control. The implementation of state-of-the-art systems, such as the new TOPSKY system, puts NAV Portugal at the forefront of the technological revolution in the aviation sector.

"We remain committed to shape the future of air navigation through continuous improvement. Innovation and the introduction of cutting-edge technologies not only enhance safety, but also make a decisive contribution to operational and environmental efficiency," emphasizes Pedro Ângelo, CEO of NAV Portugal.

Safety as the Top Priority

Safety has always been NAV Portugal's number one priority. The company not only complies with the strict standards established by international organizations such as ICAO, EASA and Eurocontrol, but also with all the national regulations and recommendations for the sector through organizations such as ANAC and GPIAAF.

These procedures, protocols and safety standards are implemented and put into practice on a daily basis to guarantee a safe operating environment for all the aircraft under its responsibility.

Through a system of continuous training in both technical and operational areas, technological updates and collaborations with partners in the sector, NAV Portugal reaffirms its firm commitment to the highest standards of safety in air navigation, working to permanently improve the safety and sustainability of the sector, with the understanding that the balance between these two areas is crucial to guarantee a robust and responsible aviation business.

Celebrating 25 years of success, NAV Portugal reaffirms its commitment to innovation, safety and excellence, anticipating future challenges and leading the continuous evolution of air navigation.

1999 - Foundation of NAV Portugal;

1999 - Numerous systems are put into operation (e.g. TWRATM Faro and Porto) to deal with the year 2000 bug;

2001 - The Lisbon (LISATM) and Santa Maria (SATL) RIV's Airspace Management Systems go live, the former being fully developed and implemented by NAV Portugal;

2005 - Certification to NP EN ISO 9001, and later NP EN ISO 14001;

2006 - Radars installed in Faro and Santa Maria;

2008 - New CCTAL Operations Room (Controller Working Positions and equipment);

2009 - Creation of the Free Route Airspace in the Lisbon RIV - a pioneering concept in Europe;

2009 - Implementation of Multilateration;

2011 - Operationalization of the SATL version with new functionalities (reduction of separation minima, ADS-C and CPDLC and ADS-B reinforcement) and operationalization of the ATM system (SATL-T in the Ponta Delgada Airport Control Tower);

2018 - NAV Portugal joins COOPANS, an alliance of air navigation service providers;

2019 - Launch of the TOPLIS Project: NAV moves ahead with the renovation of CCTAL's air traffic control system;

2021 - Inauguration of the new CCO Operations Room;

2022 - Launch of TOPSKY System;

2023 - Inauguration of the new CCTAL Operations Room.