Push to boost airport safety
A NEW system that will allow pilots to navigate and land safely in difficult weather conditions and low visibility is being rolled out at Bahrain International Airport (BIA).
It could dramatically reduce the number of diversions during bad weather and Aeroport de Paris Ingenierie (ADPI), a French firm specialised in airport architecture and engineering, has won the BD930,200 contract to consult on the project.
The technology will mean pilots can land in Bahrain even if visibility drops to 50 metres, said Transportation and Telecommunications Minister Kamal Ahmed after the contract was awarded during the Bahrain International Air Show (BIAS) 2018.
It involves an upgrade of BIA’s air navigation and Instrument Landing System (ILS) to CAT III specification, a measurement of aircraft landing capabilities.
ILS is a state-of-the-art runway approach aid that uses radio beams to provide pilots with vertical and horizontal guidance during an approach, enabling them to navigate and land safely in difficult weather conditions and low visibility.
Implementing CAT III, the highest level of precision approach, will involve installing additional lights on the runway and the development of auxiliary substations.
The system is also expected to enhance aircraft safety during take-offs and landings, as well as improve airport efficiency.
It is expected to be fully implemented in time for the completion of Bahrain’s airport expansion next year.
A contract appointing ADPI was signed by the company’s chief executive, Florent Merminod, and the minister on the sidelines of BIAS 2018.
Meanwhile, the ministry also announced it signed a contract worth BD891,000 with Mohammed Abdulmohsen Al Kharafi and Sons Company for the construction of a new aviation communication station.
The ministry confirmed that development of the station will take nine months and it will be equipped with modern communication equipment, supplied by Park Air Systems, a UK-based air traffic management subsidiary of Northrop Grumman.
Signatories to the agreement were Mr Ahmed, Housing Minister Bassem Al Hamer and a representative of Mohammed Abdulmohsen Al Kharafi and Sons Company.
“The current communication station located along the Dry Dock Road was established in the late 1970s and is now obstructing access to eastern housing developments,” said Mr Al Hamer.
The project will take into consideration the future development of communication towers with better design to integrate with the surrounding environment.
Source: http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/431648/Push-to-boost-airport-safety
