Operational use of uAvionix’s situational awareness system began yesterday at Indianapolis (KIND) and Austin-Bergstrom (KAUS) airports. The system recently completed a service acceptance test in partnership with Capital Sciences.
The uAvionix FlightLine ADS-B service enables the situational awareness system to show air traffic controllers “real-time, precise depictions of aircraft and vehicles on the airport surface, thereby improving situational awareness and reducing the risk of runway incursions,” according to uAvionix. To ensure ground vehicles are visible, the airports installed FAA-approved uAvionix ADS-B VTU-20 Vehicle Movement Area Transmitters on the airport vehicles.
FlightLine captures ADS-B signals from aircraft and ground vehicles on both the 978- and 1090-MHz ADS-B bands. Traffic is displayed on an airport surface map that depicts runways, taxiways, hold ramps, and other movement areas.
Additional situational awareness system installations are planned at other U.S. airports. “This significant milestone marks the first approvals under the FAA’s Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI), part of a broader effort to enhance runway safety across the nation,” said uAvionix chief commercial officer Christian Ramsey.