Taking action gaining trust

Customers and partners have shown trust in DFS for many years, thanks to its excellent results with regard to safety, punctuality and the resulting lower aircraft emissions. Along with its partners, DFS is advancing the development of air navigation services in Europe. But, in fact, the know-how of DFS is in demand all over the world. Between 11 and 13 March, the air navigation services world will descend on Amsterdam's RAI International Exhibition and Congress Center: Air navigation services specialists, decision-makers and suppliers from all over the world will meet there. After 17 years in Maastricht, the air traffic control exhibition is for the first time taking place in Amsterdam this year. With its focus on experience, competence and trust, DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung is one of more than 200 exhibitors from around the globe. For DFS, close and trustful partnerships form the basis for successful cooperation in projects such as FAB Europe Central. Together with its partner organisations from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland and the Maastricht control centre, DFS is developing common concepts for a cross-border airspace design. DFS also plays an active role in the European SESAR programme, which aims to develop a new air traffic management system. "One if not the most crucial factor for successful international cooperation is the trust that the partners place in each other", says Dieter Kaden, CEO of DFS. He adds: "I am happy to hear that in FAB EC, for example, trust between the partners is growing. I am convinced that the expected traffic growth can only be accommodated if we join forces. There is no way around it." DFS is also presenting its multi-radar tracking and air situation display system PHOENIX in combination with the radar simulator SimSys, as well as the dynamic arrival management system 4D Planner, which was put into operation at Munich Airport in February. The open, modular PHOENIX system, which can easily be expanded, simultaneously processes data from up to 50 radar stations. PHOENIX is used at 17 international and 10 regional airports in Germany. Furthermore, the Portuguese air navigation service provider NAV Portugal uses it as a fallback solution. The SimSys simulator can, for example, be used for training controllers and simulating airspace changes within the framework of the existing infrastructure and working positions of the operational system. The simulator provides the necessary data to the operational system, and the real work environment improves the training and simulation quality. The SimSys simulator can be combined with other operational ATM systems apart from PHOENIX. The 4D Planner supports air traffic controllers particularly at very busy airports and with high traffic volumes. The arrival management system offers dynamic planning and decision tools for controllers rather than static ones: It continuously adapts suggested landing sequences, trajectories and times to the actual situation and the actions of the controller. The 4D Planner helps to reduce average approach times and thus continuously optimises the approach sequence at airports and reduces aircraft emissions. The system has been in operation at Frankfurt Airport, Germany's largest hub, for more than five years. With more than 50 years' of experience in the provision of air navigation services, DFS provides consulting services to organisations around the world on issues relating to ATC systems, simulations, operational concepts, organisational and financial issues, safety management and the training of ANS staff.