Air Transport

Fiji is introducing an automatic dependent surveillance - broadcast system covering all its airports, a move that has been touted as the most comprehensive deployment of ADS-B in the world.

Airports of Fiji is overseeing the project. Its manager of technical services Moagrava Elaisa says the new air traffic management system will cover all of Fiji's airports.

The plan is to start introducing ADS-B in next year's first quarter and have it completed within 18 months, says Elaisa. He says Fiji now has no radar and instead uses a manual procedural separation system.

Having ADS-B will give Fiji's air traffic controllers a lot more confidence because "they will be able to see targets", he says.

Elaisa also confirms that Airports of Fiji has chosen US company Era Systems to introduce the new ADS-B system.

Era says "this will be the most comprehensive deployment of ADS-B surveillance in the world to date because the programme fully integrates next-generation technology".

This is "not a supplement for radar coverage", it adds, but - in the case of Fiji - will be "an alternative mechanism to transition from procedural airspace to reduced separation based on surveillance".

Era says it will provide its Era MSS(sm) surveillance system to provide ADS-B and multilateration surveillance. It also says Australian company Adacel will be providing its Adacel Aurora air traffic management software.

"The extensive package of technology and services provided to Airports of Fiji will also include assistance in the redesign of the airspace to suit the new capabilities, development of safety case materials to support operational deployment, extensive technical and operational training, and the implementation of a flight yield aviation charging system which will help Airports of Fiji accurately assess end-user charges for airspace use," it adds.