07-Aug-2019
• AeroMACS facilitates the operation and management of the airport center by generating real-time data and images through mobile and fixed assets. • The system uses mobile broadband communications and will complement the current manual and voice communications at the airport.
CLACKAMAS, OR – August 7, 2019 – A leader in innovation and digital solutions for the market, Siemens is rolling out a new operational communications and data digitization system at RIOgaleao - Tom Jobim International Airport, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Called AeroMACS (Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communication System), this mobile broadband communications technology transmits real-time data and images to airport operators, facilitating and optimizing management of the entire site, which receives about 15 million passengers and operates over 50,000 flights a year.
The data are obtained through sensors and cameras installed in both mobile assets (passenger buses, runway operator vehicles, boarding stairs, and so on) and fixed assets (such as radars and runway sensors). The system was developed jointly by the Digital Industries and Smart Infrastructure areas at Siemens to meet the specific needs of RIOgaleao.
One example of the application of this innovative solution is checking water on the runway, which is currently performed manually and reported by radio to the control tower. This communications system is susceptible to failures depending on local conditions. With AeroMACS, the vehicle used for analysis is equipped with cameras and sensors that pass detailed, real-time information to runway operators, raising the degree of reliability and safety through the data generated.
“AeroMACS has enabled graphical data and real-time video to increase situational awareness, detect traffic movement and improve operations at the airport with the potential for integration of multiple services,” said Ramon Alves Alem, IT at RIOgaleao. “AeroMACS is in compliance with worldwide aviation standards and provides the high speed, bandwidth, capacity, performance, and security needed to address the growing need for data communications at the airport surface.”
Due to the operational complexity of an airport, the new system may be applied in several ways to facilitate management by the operators, such as: vehicle monitoring, passenger flow in specific areas, and increased control of aircraft on the runway, among others.
"There are many different applications but the data collected need to be aligned to the business and needs of the site. With this information, it is possible not only to make faster decisions but also to gain insights for future intelligence plans," explains Sergio Sevileanu, a Siemens Digital Grid engineer in Brazil who took part in the development of AeroMACS at Tom Jobim International Airport.
“AeroMACS is the worldwide technology of choice to improve communications on the airport surface, relieve traffic, reduce congestions, prevent delays, and support the safety and regularity of flights” said Alessandra Rocha, WiMAX Forum VP Business Development. “AeroMACS has demonstrated its potential with deployments around the world and the WiMAX Forum is thrilled to have the first AeroMACS system installed in Latin America. The WiMAX Forum remains committed to ensure safer and more efficient flights globally and congratulate RIOgaleao and Siemens for its leadership in Brazil.”
As it is new airport management technology, the system in RIOgaleao is in a period of testing and its license is being analyzed by regulators such as the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) and the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC). Approval is expected by the end of this year.
To review original press release posted at Siemens website, please click here. To read the article published at Flap Internacional, please click here. For questions regarding AeroMACS or the WiMAX Forum, please contact Alessandra Rocha at Alessandra.Rocha@WiMAXForum.org.
About the WiMAX Forum The WiMAX Forum is an industry-led, not-for-profit organization that certifies and promotes the compatibility and interoperability of broadband wireless products based upon IEEE Standard 802.16. The WiMAX Forum’s primary goal is to accelerate the adoption, deployment and expansion of WiMAX, AeroMACS, and WiGRID technologies across the globe while facilitating roaming agreements, sharing best practices within our membership and certifying products. WiMAX Forum and WiGRID Certified® products are interoperable and support broadband fixed, nomadic, portable, and mobile services. The WiMAX Forum works closely with service providers and regulators to ensure that WiMAX Forum Certified systems meet customer and government requirements. For more information, visit www.wimaxforum.org.
