THE soon-to-be-completed facilities of the next-generation satellite-based Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) will put the Philippine aviation regulator on a par with its Asian neighbors Japan, South Korea, Singapore and China.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency’s ¥22,049-million project is expected to complete the physical installation of all associated facilities by June this year to make way for full operation by the end of the year.
The Philippines would be able to monitor 80 percent of the Manila Flight Information Region as assigned to the Philippines by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The CNS/ATM is a computer-based flight data-processing system that enables aircraft operators to meet their planned times of departure and arrival, and adhere to their preferred flight profiles with minimum constraints and without compromising safety.
The CNS/ATM was created to establish satellite-based CNS/ATM systems according to the specifications of the ICAO; deploy vital air-transport communication, surveillance and information facilities; and replace aging communication and air-traffic equipment in select airports nationwide.
With the planned deployment, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines will need to engage the services of 500 air-traffic controllers over the next five years, when the satellite-based CNS/ATM system becomes fully operational.