Safety and Security

The safe and secure operation of air traffic control and surveillance requires ground systems to be fail safe.

Aquila solutions consider all of the possible factors to ensure its services and systems are safe to operate and provide security.

Nearby objects and signals can affect the effectiveness of systems which use radio signals. Aquila provides safeguarding to protect its services and systems from any unwanted effects.
Safe use also demands protection of people and systems nearby from any potentially harmful impacts of radiation from air traffic management or surveillance equipment.
Factors which affect the way air traffic controllers and human system operators behave are taken into account.
We plan for continued operations in the eventuality of any unexpected breaks in service of equipment.

Aquila’s Safety and Safeguarding Services provide confidence in critical safety services, from their inception through their lifetime of operation.

Safety and Security

Air traffic control provides services to aircraft to ensure their safe transit, arrival and departure. Air and maritime surveillance rely on the safe and effective transmission of signals to maintain the security of a site or region of the world.

Aquila safety experts provide advice on the safe and secure siting, use and interoperability of air traffic management and surveillance systems.

From design through to ongoing operation of new and existing systems, they are experts in planning and assuring the safe and secure use of services. They plan and assure:

Safe siting of equipment
Potential human factors which could affect operator behaviour
Contingencies for any unexpected outages in service

Regular reassessment of all of these factors is vital. Safety must be assured following any changes to risk. Aquila can analyse and recognise changes in risk factors.

Aquila provides risk mitigation services and advice for safe and secure ongoing air traffic and surveillance operations.

Building and Infrastructure Changes

Alternations to buildings and infrastructure and new development in and around airports, airfields, and aircraft carriers, exercise ranges and surveillance sites can affect the safe operation of electronic air traffic management and surveillance equipment on them. Development of new or existing property on or near a site can pose a danger.

All surveillance, navigation and communications systems must be reassessed in the light of any changes or additions to nearby:

Buildings and structures – including housing, commercial property, farm buildings, aircraft hangars, towers and masts, temporary buildings (such as portacabins) and storage facilities
Electrical cabling, antennae and energy generation structures – including power lines, pylons or wind turbines
Airfield infrastructure – including operational structures with radio equipment or antenna; air traffic control towers; runways, taxiway and aprons; and perimeter fencing
Alert alarm systems used by airports, air traffic managers and emergency services

Aquila can help. Its Safeguarding Service provides:

Simulation and modelling of the potential impact of proposed changes
Site surveys and testing of equipment following changes
Advice on siting of structures or equipment to minimise impact on operations
Re-calibration or re-siting of equipment and flight safety checking

Aquila also maintains registers for the safe recording of any permitted local development or exemptions granted to local safety protocols.

Safety and Security

Safe Services on the Ground: Safe and Secure Operations in the Sky

The safe and secure operation of air traffic control and surveillance requires ground systems to be fail safe.

Safety and Security

Building and Infrastructure Changes

Private: Home

Case study: UK Military Air Traffic Management

Air traffic management services

About Aquila