PLANNING, RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Overview

ATM Planning, Research and Development leads ATM planning, research and development efforts of ATNS with a particular focus on the conceptualization, planning and design of the ATNS Air Traffic Management system in support of the ICAO operational concept, ICAO standards and recommended practices. Incorporating requirements into the ATNS capital expenditure plan and to lead research and development activities in support of future system developments and improvements for implementation by ATNS to enable the effective and efficient ATNS Air Traffic Management Service Delivery into the future.

Abilities

Our abilities include:

• International, Regional and national planning and coordination.
• Research and assess operational application of new CNS technologies.
• CNS systems architecture and design.
• CNS fuctional specification.
• Research for operational requirements.
• Operational concept development.
• Airspace modeling and simulation.
• Radio Frequency planning and coverage prediction
• Traffic analysis and forecasting.
  

Operational Planning

Operational planning is a dynamic process, which involves seeking out facts, questioning established or newly proposed methods and searching for information. It is also a continuing process, which, in the interpretation of available data and in the formulation of concept requires vision, imagination and the courage to support and justify one’s convictions. Operational planning is an activity which cannot be disassociated from the overall development of civil aviation and forms a part of the National Airspace Masterplan. The planning cannot be done in isolation with regard to other aspects of aviation, but must take into account information concerning established commercial air route networks and existing or forecast traffic flows, the navigation aids programme, the airports development programme, the operators fleet composition and their future procurement programme and the overall priorities of the many and varied civil aviation flying activities. Operational planning must give due consideration to the demands of specialized military flying operations and airspace provisions for national security.

Early in the process of planning, consideration must be given to the various stages of implementation, which are coupled to various planning disciplines. Once the need has been justified, as in the case of CNS/ATM systems planning and implementation, the many role players are integrated i.e. Engineering in all its facets, Aeronautical Information Services and the Operational aspects including Human Resource Planning.

Apart from specific project planning, operational planning can form the basis for establishing many of the day-to-day requirements of the service.

Finally, the proper timing of the implementation of the plan based on ICAO SARP’s is vitally important to the success of ATNS and meeting the needs of the clients. Sound operational planning will also provide policy guidance on many issues significant to the efficiency of ATNS.

The department continually ensures that global, regional and local plans are incorporated into all operational planning documents in order to comply with ICAO SARP’s. In addition, the processing of State letters keeps ATNS abreast of operational developments, which in turn ensures that all operational procedures are current technology.

Operational Planners are required to arrange for regular feedback on operational planning and operational problems, i.e. OPSCOM, in order to keep the client informed and the company focused on their needs.

Achievements

To date ATM planning Research and Development has successfully implemented airspace changes in South Africa and Namibia and has contributed to the implementation of GNSS (RNAV) approaches in the DRC. The Section participated in the regional planning activities of ICAO and is active in the implantation of the Indian and Atlantic Ocean random routing areas.

• The organization and management of the airspace with all the ramifications and complexities which arise from the conflicting demands of the users.
• Investigation and recommending the best methods and technical equipment to operate the system.
• Planning for implementation of CNS/ATM systems.
• Planning for personnel and their appropriate qualifications.
• Functional planning and layout of the controllers working environment and operational procedures.