Air Traffic Management

Improving air traffic management to enable sustainable aviation

Working with EUROCONTROL
QinetiQ's experience in Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast Programs (ADS-B) is considered among the best in the world.

The QinetiQ Quadrant^TM ADS-B product offers the potential for a low-cost rollout of ADS-B, using multi-lateration - a key enabling technology in the context of future ATN systems architecture.

QinetiQ uses Quadrant within the NATS-led Cristal programme for Eurocontrol. QinetiQ's GlobalEyes system can also provide visualisation of the ADS-B data that is received by the Quadrant system.

Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast is a methodology whereby an aircraft or other vehicle periodically transmits its position and other parameters for use on the ground or by other aircraft that are equipped with suitable receivers.

ADS-B will be a key component of the next generation surveillance systems. It also has the capability of supporting advanced automated air traffic management tools such as conflict probes, trajectory predictors, flight path monitoring and tactical planning aids. Quadrant ADS-B provides a cost effective solution to all airspace types and infrastructure requirements.

The future of the Air Transport System (NGATS)
The Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS) program in the US - a joint effort between the the Department of Defense, the US Department of Transport, the FAA and industry – aims to create the roadmap and program for a future Air Transport System.

Its goals for 2025 envisions the safe, efficient and reliable movement of large numbers of people and goods throughout the air transportation system in a way that is consistent with national security objectives.

QinetiQ will be supporting the development and deployment of this system, which is founded on an underlying set of operating principles, combined with a cohesive fabric of key capabilities.

These will permit the NGATS to remove many of the constraints in the current system, support a wider range of operations and deliver an overall system capacity up to three times that of current operating levels.