London Stansted Airport collaboratively submitted a funding application as part of a joint application by 15 European Airports. This application was led by Groupe Aéroports de Paris (ADP) which was successful in securing INEA funding in CEF 2016 Call for Transport.
This unique partnership has allowed the 4th biggest UK airport, which is now at record passenger numbers and continuing to grow, to introduce vehicle transponders within the airside environment which are part of a suite of safety-focused Pilot Common Project (PCP) deployments.
The objective of the project was to equip airside vehicles which have access to the runway and operate in the manoeuvring area of London Stansted Airportwith a vehicle transponder, to improve situational awareness, reduce the risk of runway incursions and contribute to the overall airport safety culture.
Each vehicle equipped with a transponder is uniquely identified and its exact position within the airfield is
continuously broadcasted. This has effectively enhanced the ground control operation for all airport stakeholders, primarily NATS, the airport’s Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) by providing visibility in all runway conditions. The fully functioning transponder system is linked to the airport’s A-SMGCS in the NATS Air Traffic Control Tower. This significantly contributes to improving the overall safety of the airside environment by avoiding any potential aircraft to vehicle conflict, especially when operating in low visibility.
Additionally, the safety benefits derived have already come to fruition during a recent prolonged snow event at the airport, with the fleet of airside operations safety vehicles managing a fleet of snow clearing equipment, whilst in a live operational environment and in low visibility conditions.
London Stansted Airport will continue to collaborate with European stakeholders to introduce other such technological and operational solutions that will not only facilitate the airport’s growth efficiently and safely, but also effectively play a vital role in a coordinated European Air Traffic Management network.
The INEA funding as part of this joint project has expedited the implementation of this and other PCP mandated projects here at Stansted.
