Efforts to improve Aviation safety in Papua New Guinea are reaching newer heights.
Improvements are being made to better track flight plans and boost aviation safety in Papua New Guinea; PNG Air Services Limited in a partnership with Aireon signed an agreement to deploy Aireon’s space-based technology in PNG.
This technology will ensure more accurate, real time air traffic surveillance and facilitate seamless collaboration between Papua New Guinea and neighboring airspaces in the region.
Air traffic control operators still rely on visual position reports, and the introduction of Aireon’s space based Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast service will enhance air traffic surveillance services for PNG’s entire upper airspace above 20,000ft.
Unlike ground based radar, ADS-B leverages satellite based GPS technology to calculate an aircraft’s precise location, speed and direction and transmits this information twice per second to ground based ADS-B receivers.
For years PNGASL has relied on ground based infrastructure for its surveillance capabilities. And PNG’s mountainous terrains, weather and unreliable third party service providers in terms of power supply and communication links were some of the major challenges air traffic controllers faced.
PNGASL Chief Executive and Managing Director, Captain Ted Pakii, says this space based surveillance tool will complement the existing terrestrial based ADS-B facilities and enable PNGASL to
provide more efficient services to PNG’s aviation industry.
ADS-B is rapidly being adopted with many countries requiring space based surveillance equipage within 3-5 years.
Captain Pakii says, the way forward for Aviation in Papua New Guinea is to modernize everything from technological systems, facilities, people and processes.
The signing of the agreement for ADS-B services paves way for ASL to provide more improved services to PNG’s aviation industry in terms reliability, efficiency and the most important, course safety.
By Helen Sea, EMTV News, Port Moresby
