February theme: Aviation securityNATS selects Era's Squid for Gatwick

Whiteley, Fareham, U.K.-based NATS — the company makes impressive claims on its behalf: It handles two million flights and 220 million passengers a year; it has recently been voted the world’s best air navigation service provider in Air Traffic Management’s international survey, and more — has selected Era to provide its Squid vehicle tracking units for London Gatwick Airport. The Squid units will support the airport’s Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS), which will go live in April 2008. Gatwick Airport is the U.K. second largest, and is the world’s busiest single runway airport. Because the amount of movements in a compact area, NATS sought vehicle tracking units in order to provide air traffic controllers with complete surface situational awareness, thereby increasing safety levels at the airport.

Squid by Era units work with any A-SMGCS and are standards compliant ADS-B transponders that are mounted on top of airport vehicles. The units constantly and automatically transmit vehicle locations to air traffic controllers. This ensures that a complete picture of all aircraft and vehicles is available to controllers at all times — in all visibility and weather conditions. “Airports around the world are realizing the immense benefits that our vehicle tracking units provide,” said Russell Hulstrom, Era’s vice president and general manager for Air Traffic Management Solutions. “NATS is one of the world’s leading ANSPs, and we look forward to providing them with a product that stands up to their reputation for excellence.”