Serco and ATRiCS to deliver advanced tower simulator for Sharjah Airport
Serco Middle East and ATRiCS Advanced Traffic Solutions GmbH (ATRiCS Germany) have signed an agreement to deliver a state-of-the-art tower simulator under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi and the Sharjah Department of Civil Aviation.
Image courtesy Serco
The simulator will be a key component in driving forward Sharjah DCA’s vision for nationalisation in collaboration with Serco’s development programme for eligible Emiratis. The simulator allows for fully scalable, high fidelity simulation using the Sharjah Airport layout to familiarise air traffic controllers with a realistic environment coupled with a high degree of automation and integration.
The 3D immersive simulator supports the development of practical skills required for day-to-day operations and simulation of emergency scenario management to meet with regulatory requirements. The simulator is intended not only for training purposes and will be used as an integrated platform for ongoing evaluation and research activities to support and align the Sharjah Airport’s future growth as a major regional hub.
The ATRiCS simulator supports all functions of modern air traffic management systems, provides 3D tower visualisation up to 270 degrees and is suitable for primary and advanced training for tower and ground controllers. In addition, the simulator is a powerful real-time air traffic management platform to validate any operational scenario at any scale.
Serco Middle East CEO Phil Malem said: "As a technology led business enabled by people we are delighted to work with ATRiCS on delivering the latest in air traffic management equipment. We have worked collaboratively with the Sharjah DCA for over 70 years to deliver best in-class air navigation services (ANS) to Sharjah International Airport and this simulator will take our training and upskilling to the next level. Working in partnership with our client, we have a target of a 47% Emirati workforce on this contract by 2025 and we want to ensure all new and current air traffic controllers have access to world-class training and gain exposure to different scenarios, using the latest technology."
Wolfgang Hatzack, CEO ATRiCS said: “The tower simulator selected by Serco represents the latest generation which supports both the training of controllers as well as the research and development of new ATM systems and procedures. It is in use at airports such as Abu Dhabi, Frankfurt and Zurich and played a major role in defining the roadmap of the European ATM transformation programme SESAR.”