SpaceOpal, the Galileo system operator under contract with the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), has awarded Ineco the extension of its current contract as the company responsible for the operation and maintenance of the European Satellite Navigation Services Centre (GSC) of the Galileo Programme for the next five years. Based in Torrejón de Ardoz (Madrid), the GSC provides satellite navigation services to users worldwide. 

This extension ensures the continuity of Ineco’s activities in the project until 2027, a period in which the GSC will incorporate new capabilities such as the provision of the Galileo High Accuracy Service (HAS), one of Galileo’s main differentiating elements with regard to its competitors.

In the image, the European Satellite Navigation Services Centre (GSC), where Ineco provides operation, security, cybersecurity, integrated logistics and support services for the development of user services and applications.

The company has obtained recognition from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the National Air Safety Agency (AESA) for the design of instrument flight procedures, which establish the trajectory of aircraft to prevent collisions.

Ineco has thus become the first Spanish company to obtain the ICAO certificate, which only 14 other companies worldwide have been awarded. The accreditation is valid for three years, for both conventional and performance-based navigation (PBN).

The National Air Safety Agency (AESA) has also certified Ineco as a provider of flight procedure design services, making it the second organisation in Spain, after Enaire, to have received this recognition, which is valid throughout the European Union.

MITMA Group companies, including Ineco, have joined the STEAM Alliance for female talent. On 9 February, the signing ceremony of the protocol took place with the Ministers of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda and Education and Vocational Training, Raquel Sánchez and Pilar Alegría, respectively, and the presidents of Adif, Renfe, ENAIRE, Aena, Puertos del Estado and Ineco, Sergio Vázquez (third from the left). 

Under the slogan ‘Girls in Science’, the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training is promoting this initiative in the public and private sectors to “encourage the interest of girls and young women in disciplines related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics” (STEAM).

Supporting the STEAM vocations of girls and women in education is a priority issue not only for the United Nations, which includes it in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, but also for the European Union and the government of Spain, which has included it in the Digital Spain 2025 Agenda. Meanwhile, Ineco has made equality one of the pillars of its strategic business plan.

Ineco is collaborating with Renfe on the Commuter Stations Plan 2019 to 2024, which includes various works to increase the capacity and performance of the network and increase comfort and accessibility to trains and stations. Among other works, the company has carried out projects and works management for the Cerdanyola-Universidad and Santa Perpetua de Mogoda stations in Barcelona. At Cerdanyola-Universidad station, which has five tracks and three platforms, access for people with reduced mobility has been improved thanks to the installation of three lifts serving the subway. At the new Santa Perpetua de Mogoda station, the main works have consisted of the construction of a main building, a subway to connect the platforms, the installation of lifts, new shelters and the development of the accesses.

Adif has also commissioned Ineco to draw up the construction project for the new Parets del Vallès railway station, which forms part of the conventional gauge line linking Barcelona, Vic and Puigcerdà. The project includes a new passenger building with lifts, a car park and an urban pedestrian connection footbridge.

Ineco has been entrusted with the management of the refurbishment works for the new headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Located in the centre of Madrid, it is an energy-efficient building with more than 50,000 m² of floor space, where more than 1,200 public employees will work. The building is highly flexible in its use of space and complies with EU energy efficiency directives and is BREEAM-certified for sustainability. All site information has been integrated into a Building Information Modelling (BIM), which has improved the quality of the project and optimised costs during construction and maintenance.

Since time immemorial, building new structures has always been more glamorous than maintaining and improving existing ones. Although today’s construction materials are diverse, high quality and more sophisticated than those of times past, they also require more maintenance than –for example– the iconic stone structures built by the Romans. 

In order to define a suitable maintenance programme that will maximise a structure’s service life, which begins as soon as the construction work has come to an end, it is necessary to carry out a study. First, it is vital that you obtain data on the real condition of the structure. To do this, you need to go out into the field, visit the structure in question and perform an inspection. In Spain, there are specific guides and instructions that define the different types of inspection. Is the case, for example, the Instruction for the Technical Inspection of Railway Bridges (ITPF-05), which defines three types of inspection: basic, main and special. There are similar documents for other types of structures. 

3D model of the Martín Gil viaduct, created using photogrammetry. / INFOGRAPHIC_INECO

These inspections are visual and the information obtained regarding the functional condition and durability of the structure depends, in large part, on the skills and capacities of the inspector. In the university environment, the focus on new construction has resulted in a lack of learning and knowledge with regard to how existing structures behave over time. This, combined with other factors, makes the assessment process more complex. 

When it was built, the Mattín Gil Viaduct on the Zamora-A Coruña line boasted the world’s longest concrete arch, measuring 192.4 metres across the central span

Examples of these other factors include the extremely wide range of structural types and materials (concrete, steel, hybrid, stone, composite, etc.) and the many different pathologies generated by mechanical, chemical or physical causes. In addition to these factors, there is also the fact that the majority of structures are not designed to be inspected; many of their elements are hidden or difficult to access. Another of the inspector’s enemies is adverse weather conditions, which can make outdoor work very complicated.

Ineco started to carry out inspections of railway bridges in the 1990s. It has been a member of the Association for the Repair, Reinforcement and Protection of Concrete (ARPHO) since 2010 (when the Association was created); and a member of the European Association for Construction Repair, Reinforcement and Protection (ACRP) since 2020. 

Ground plan and elevation of the reinforcement works for the viaduct over the River Miño in Ourense (AVE Madrid-Galicia). / PLAN_INECO

Today, Ineco’s structural inspection specialists not only provide services to external clients, but also work on a cross-departmental basis within the company, helping all of the different units
–including those specialising in airports, railways and roads– to perform analyses on all types of structure: from bridges and stations to airport terminals and port facilities. The work is usually carried out in two stages: a field inspection, which often includes a series of tests; and an office-based stage, in which the inspection report and plans for structural retrofitting and strengthening are prepared. 

Drafting the design project and carrying out the construction work only marks the start of a structure’s service life, although it is a very important stage that creates the base for long-term functionality and durability. However, no structure can exist forever. With a well-defined plan, proper execution with suitable materials and strict supervision during construction, plus preventive and corrective maintenance throughout the structure’s service life, it is possible to reach an age of more than 100 years. However, whether modern buildings can match the longevity of Roman structures remains to be seen!

Ineco has been using drones for years and has been working on the development of advanced applications, such as the calibration of radio aids or the remote inspection of railway lines and structures. It also participates in European R&D&I projects such as TERRA (ground technologies), IMPETUS (information services) and DOMUS (flight demonstrations), and is currently involved in AMU-LED, which will study the safe use of drones in urban environments until 2023. The company is also part of the EUROCAE WG-115, which, together with its North American equivalent RTCA SC-238, focuses on defining technical requirements for drone detection and neutralisation systems.

DRONE-BASED RADIO NAVIGATION AID CALIBRATION SYSTEM Living up to expectations

Ineco, in an internal innovation project, has developed and successfully tested a system for calibrating radio navigation aids with drones that is cheaper, more manoeuvrable and more accessible than current systems, while maintaining accurate results. After three test campaigns and more than 60 flight hours, the system has demonstrated that it lives up to expectations.

Víctor M. Gordo, aeronautical engineer
Iván Beneyto, telecommunications engineer

Radio navigation aids (VOR, ILS, DME) are ground-based equipment that communicate with airborne aircraft via radio signals, thereby ensuring the safety of air navigation by providing the necessary positioning and guidance signals to keep aircraft adequately separated from the terrain and obstacles. In order to ensure that the functioning of the equipment remains optimal, certain parameters relating to the quality of the signal they emit, such as power, modulations, response delays, etc., must be regularly calibrated. This is currently done using aircraft crewed by specialist pilots and personnel.

There are several limitations to the use of manned flight that do not apply to the use of drones, or RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems). On the one hand, their costs are high and their availability is limited due to the fact that few aircraft of this type exist. This means that they can be heavily used and that equipment can only be checked from time to time, typically with one calibration per year and radio navigation aid. On the other hand, they have reduced manoeuvrability in the air and their presence has an impact on air traffic, making it difficult to carry out certain checks.

TEST CAMPAIGNS. In order to test the efficiency of the system, several test campaigns have been carried out at Logroño-Agoncillo and Vigo airports, as well as at several air navigation facilities around Madrid. / PHOTO_INECO

 Although it is not possible to fully replace manned flight today, since RPAS autonomy is limited and there is no integration with conventional aviation. This technology is poised to become operational as a maintenance support service to enable spot checks and increased spacing between calibration flights.

Over the last few years, Ineco has created its own system for calibrating radio navigation aids using these unmanned vehicles. The system consists of various on-board equipment (so that the drone can analyse the radio signal from the radio navigation aid and send the data back) and equipment on the ground (receiving station), in addition to the analysis and representation software that has been developed.

The platform used is a coaxial octocopter fitted with a Pixhawk 2.1 Cube autopilot system, offering a range of 30 minutes and capacity to carry a payload of up to 2 kg, equipped with GPS+Galileo+GLONASS and EGNOS Navigation system, as well as RTK (Real Time Kinematic) positioning. The on-board systems include antennas, an SDR, or software-defined radio, as well as a microcomputer that analyses the digitised RF signal to calculate the relevant radio navigation aid parameters. The ground system consists of two elements: an RTK base that corrects the drone’s position within a margin of error of centimetres, and a control station that manages all the system’s components.

In the image: Iván Beneyto, Ignacio Díaz de Liaño and Víctor Gordo. / PHOTO_INECO

Data is sent in real time via an MQTT (Message Queue Telemetry Transport) broker installed on Ineco’s servers. This broker broadcasts messages to clients via a publisher/subscriber arrangement with latencies of less than two seconds. The visualisation of this data, as well as its storage, is handled by a results console developed in NavTools, Ineco’s air navigation tools package. This console makes it possible to view the records obtained by the equipment on board the drone in real time, displaying how the parameters that define the correct operation of the radio navigation aid, such as the difference in depth of the modulations, power, alignment error, signal structure, etc., evolve along the flight path. The console can also be used to save the received data and to display and analyse the flown trajectory and the data obtained.

In order to assess the efficiency of the system, several test campaigns have been carried out at Logroño-Agoncillo and Vigo airports, as well as at several navigation facilities around Madrid (Perales de Tajuña, Navas del Rey, Castejón and Villatobas), where different types of aids, ILS (Instrument Landing System) and DVOR (Doppler Very-High-Frequency Omnidirectional Range) were tested by means of radial, vertical and horizontal flights, orbits and approaches depending on the type of radio navigation aid.

Display of results together with the position of the RPAS (in 3D) in real time, in the tool developed by Ineco. / IMAGE_INECO

The system has made it possible to record the typical parameters of these radio navigation aids, confirming that they were within the ranges established by ICAO for more than 95% of the time, thus complying with current regulations. The results obtained were also compared with those recorded by a conventional calibration aircraft, showing a high correlation, thus corroborating the correct operation of the system; laboratory tests were also carried out using a signal generator, confirming that the system can measure with an error of less than 1%.  The most important milestones during these tests are listed below:

• 3 test campaigns in an airport environment.
• 0 ATC incidents.
• More than 10 DVOR verifications.
• More than 10 ILS verifications (LLZ and GP).
• More than 60 cumulative flight hours.
• >95% of the time within ICAO limits.
• Verifications of up to 20 minutes.
• Approaches up to 2 km in length.
• Flights up to 120 metres high.
• Positioning error <1 metre.
• Real-time latencies <2 seconds. 

RESULTS VALIDATION. Comparison of drone radio navigation aid calibration results (blue) revealed a high correlation with those of a conventional aircraft (yellow), which corroborates the correct functioning of the system. / SOURCE_INECO

C-UAS: a reality check on rogue drones

Julia Sánchez, UAS specialist, EUROCONTROL

The unmanned aircraft system (UAS/drones) market is rapidly and significantly expanding. What started as an exclusively military domain is now aiming at the private and public civil sectors with numerous applications, that will create new jobs and economic benefits. However, the use of drones raises a number of issues: they can also be dangerous weapons and have become an attractive tool for terrorists and criminals. 

A growing phenomenon, is the number of incidents at and around airport facilities. Some actions have already taken place due to the potentially damaging effects of drones’ colliding with other airspace, disrupting aerodrome operations (e.g. such as the incidents at Barajas in February 2020 or Gatwick in December 2018), attacking critical and sensitive infrastructure (e.g. government buildings, nuclear power plants, urban areas) or even people on the ground.

As a consequence of this, the use of UAS has become a double-edged sword. The potential threat that drones pose to safety, security and privacy has led to the development of Counter UAS (C-UAS) measures to counteract any drone incursion into controlled and uncontrolled airspace. 

In Europe, the European Commission is committed to supporting EU member states in mitigating the threats posed by non-collaborative UAS, in line with the EU Action Plan to Support the Protection of Public Spaces, the European Commission’s counter-terrorism unit has created two interest groups: Protection of Public Spaces (PPS) and C-UAS,.

EASA’s (European Aviation Safety Agency) Counter-UAS Action Plan was included in the European Plan for Aviation Safety (EPAS) in 2021. It concerns educating drone operators and pilots, raising awareness to prevent the misuse of drones around aerodromes, preparing aerodromes against drones’ incursions, advising aerodromes to consider those C-UAS measures necessary for ensuring the safety and security of aerodrome operations (airborne and ground), encouraging adequate incident reporting, and supporting the assessment of the safety risk drones pose to manned aircraft. The deliverable of the second objective of the Action Plan is a guidance manual called Drone Incident Management at Aerodromes, although only the first part is publicly available.

The European Commission is committed to supporting EU member states in mitigating the threats posed by non-collaborative UAS. EUROCAE has established the Work Group WG 115 in order to develop standards for the safe and harmonised implementation of anti-UAS systems at airports and ANSPs

Faced with these actions, there is also the necessity to choose the right C-UAS technology depending on the threat scenario. EUROCAE, the European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment, has established the Work Group WG 115 in order to develop standards for the safe and harmonised implementation of anti-UAS systems at airports and ANSPs. These standards will describe the performance of the system (e.g. minimum level of detection required), interoperability and interfaces with stakeholders. EUROCAE WG 115 jointly with RTCA SC-238 Counter UAS published its first deliverable, the Operational Services and Environment Definition (OSED) for C-UAS in controlled airspace. The scope of this is to introduce the overall capability of a C-UAS system, including capabilities for the detection of unauthorised UAS. EUROCONTROL is highly involved in WG 115 and will continue to support it and contribute to future deliverables, that are expected to be published by the end of 2022.

As EUROCONTROL’s activities touch on operations, concept development, research, safety and security, and performance improvements, we are providing key services and contributing experts in the domain to C-UAS-related research projects from European Commission’s Directorates-General for Migration and Home Affairs and Transport (DG Home and DG Move); the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE), Work Group 115, as well as the international air transport (IATA) and airport associations (ACI).

Furthermore, there are also some limitations to C-UAS technologies in the aviation context, since might interfere with other systems currently in place. Interoperability must therefore be ensured with other systems (e.g. navigational aids, and primary and secondary radars at airports), as well as an interface with appropriate ATM and UTM (U-space) systems to enable the exchange of information necessary for the safe operations. Finally, any technical C-UAS solution must be complemented by procedural measures and clear protocols that depend on the threat level presented by the rogue UAS, to define who does what and when. The C-UAS should also be able to distinguish between authorised and unauthorised drones. A variety of technical C-UAS solutions and technologies are continually emerging. The selection of the right C-UAS depends on the features and specific characteristics of the environment. Actions in response to an illegal UAS, such as mitigation and neutralisation technologies, can carry important risks, and their deployment will fully depend on the national legislation of the country concerned. At the international level, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) mentions that countermeasures must never involve the use of force. Initiatives to improve C-UAS response capabilities could include the development of an official registry or database that allows the rapid classification of a drone as a threat, and the development of a catalogue of best practices when employing C-UAS to know which technology would be more suitable and how to use it, with a clear description of the chain of command to be followed and any legal advice that could be required depending on the type of threat.

Counter-drone systems to protect public safety

Enrique Belda, Deputy Director General of Information and Communications Systems for Security and Director of CETSE
José Cebrián, Chief Inspector of the R&D&I Area and Director of the SIRDEE Office
Manuel Izquierdo, Director of the SIGLO-CD Project

The technological growth in drones, the large number of commercial models and their multiple applications, together with the reduction of purchase and maintenance costs and the ease of operation and legislative development, mean that more and more public and private organisations, individuals and companies are using this type of aircraft. For this reason, the authorities must be prepared in two respects: as users, including the emergency services, and as guarantors of security, both by preventing their reckless use or non-compliance with the rules of manufacture, sale and use (safety), and by preventing their criminal use, in the most serious case, for terrorist attacks (security).

The Ministry of the Interior, and more specifically the Secretary of State for Security, has been working from two perspectives: the legal perspective, including collaborations, action protocols and agreements with other bodies, and the technological perspective, seeking and applying the best existing solutions both for fleet control and to prevent and, where appropriate, neutralise their malicious use.

The Security Technology Centre (CETSE) is the headquarters from the Subdirectorate General of Information and Communication Systems for Security (SGSICS). The R&D&I Area of the Subdirectorate is made up of two departments: R&D&I, European Projects and CoU (Community of Users), and Drones and Counter-Drones, SIGLO-CD Directorate (Global Counter-Drones System).

Enrique Belda, Deputy Director General of Information and Communications Systems for Security and Director of the CETSE, describes the centre as a “factory of technological solutions”, among them, the Global Counter-Drones System (SIGLO-CD). / PHOTO_MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR

In 2016, a working group was set up at the Secretary of State for Security focused on finding solutions to the malicious use of this type of aircraft. Following an analysis of the market, it was concluded that there are no global solutions to address all situations –most of them are isolated–, that there are many different scenarios with very different characteristics, that there is a lack of legislative regulation in counter-regulatory systems and that these systems may cause possible collateral damage. From the outset, the following phases were established to deal with a potential threat:

• Detection: something strange is detected, but initially it is not clear whether it is a drone, where it is going, what its intentions are, etc.
• Identification: discern whether it is indeed a drone and obtain as much data as possible from the drone, including the pilot’s position.
• Tracking: give indications of where it is going and possible intentions.
• Neutralisation: if necessary.
• Intelligence: all these phases must have a certain amount of intelligence to help the operator make decisions in real time.

In 2019, the Secretary of State for Security (SES) ordered the design and implementation of a technological platform to protect against allegedly unlawful acts (reckless flights or flights with illegal intent), as well as intrusions into personal space, use by organised crime and, in the most serious cases, possible terrorist actions. The Subdirectorate General of Information and Communication Systems for Security (SGSICS) was in charge of implementing the so-called Global Counter-Drones System (SIGLO-CD). 

In 2019, the Secretary of State for Security (SES) ordered the design and implementation of a technological platform to protect against alleged unlawful acts, as well as intrusions into personal space, use by organised crime and possible terrorist actions

On 11 July 2019, the Secretary of State for Security signed the emergency resolution declaring the procurement of a global system service. Phase 0 began with the aim of detecting, identifying and tracking commercial drones in the metropolitan area of Madrid and, if necessary, neutralising possible threats to State institutions located in the capital, such as the Royal Palace of Madrid, the Government Presidency, the Congress and the Senate, among others. From the outset, the system has been designed holistically, continuously evolving to adapt to constant technological innovations and to improve the detection, identification, tracking and neutralisation of the majority of drones, regardless of the technology they use. 

The client-server architecture is built around a central server (Headquarters) which transmits information to the different detectors via a virtual private network (VPN), through which the neutralisation equipment can be activated, if necessary. SIGLO-CD also has different sites or control centres from where suspected unauthorised drone flights are monitored, each of which has an assigned administrator. In the control rooms, users (advanced or end-users) can manage the information obtained by the detection systems covering the assigned surveillance areas, in accordance with the competences associated with their respective profiles.

ILLUSTRATION_DRON SILENT FLYER, COURTESY: HTTP://FLYGILDI.COM

Both detectors and neutralisers are considered as peripheral devices of the central server housed in the Security Technology Centre (CETSE), in order to provide its different users with drone detection, identification, tracking and neutralisation data in real time. It also stores information and manages communications.

The detection systems that were initially selected are passive, since they are deployed in an urban environment. They obtain the brand, model, serial number or tracking data of the most widespread commercial drones on the market. Its coverage radius is more than 15 km per antenna, which means that a few sensors can cover large areas.

Activity in the sector is constantly growing: in 2020, more than 7,500 drone flights were detected over the urban area of Madrid, of which almost 95% were of the brand DJI. By 2021, the figure had increased to more than 12,000 flights

Over the next three years (2022-2024), the global system is scheduled to be extended to most of the national territory, in order to manage different emergencies in a coordinated manner. It will also ensure compliance with U-Space standards. It is also collaborating with other institutions, such as the Spanish Professional Football League, with whom an agreement has been signed for the installation of detection and neutralisation systems in sports stadiums. 

Activity in the sector is constantly growing: in 2020, more than 7,500 drone flights were detected over the urban area of Madrid, of which almost 95% were of the brand DJI. By 2021, the figure had increased to more than 12,000 flights.

The HISPAFRA project aims to implement the concept of free route airspace (FRA) within Spain. At the European level, the FRA initiative is promoted and coordinated by Eurocontrol, in accordance with the stipulations of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/116 of 1 February 2021. It is a nationwide project in which Ineco is supporting the ENAIRE Director of Operations and helping to coordinate all of the bodies involved, which include the General Directorate of Civil Aviation, the National Air Safety Agency, the Spanish Air Force and ENAIRE. 

Until now, airlines and airspace users have defined their flight plans using a network of waypoints and segments published in aeronautical charts. The pre-pandemic growth in air traffic across Europe has meant that this network of segments and flight paths has become more expansive and complex. In turn, this has made it possible to manage air traffic within the capacity of the network without impacting negatively on safety.

Free route airspace is a concept in which airspace users are able to draw up flight plans in line with their companies’ interests, and freely establish connections between waypoints within a particular volume of airspace without reference to the existing published routes. However, they must still adhere to certain rules with regard to connectivity between the waypoints in question. The concept can be compared to the experience of a driver at a junction with traffic lights and a junction with a roundabout: while the traffic lights oblige the driver to stop completely, at the roundabout the traffic flows more freely and the driver can choose where to exit, in accordance with certain pre-defined rules. Although the FRA concept does not imply the absence of rules, it does allow for greater dispersal of air traffic in comparison to structured airspace (thereby reducing “traffic jams”) and offers users greater flexibility when planning the optimum route between waypoints within the airspace. In turn, this enables them to plan flights that are more efficient, flexible and environmentally sustainable.

Entry, exit and intermediate points in free route airspace. MAP_ENAIRE

However, the increased flexibility in flight planning offered by the FRA concept results in greater dispersal of flight routes and increased uncertainty as to where conflicts that require controllers to separate the aircraft may occur. For this reason, and when dealing with complex airspaces, the FRA concept explored by the SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) initiative recommends that  user defined segments should be based on published waypoints in high complexity airspaces (although the routes free route segments themselves do not need to be published) and controllers should be supported with advanced conflict-detection tools, as the aircraft’s whereabouts are no longer as predictable as they would be in structured airspace. 

The FRA concept only applies during the flight plan stage, i.e. before the plane has left the ground. Once the flight plan has been submitted and approved, the flight becomes subject to that plan and to authorisation from air traffic control (ATC), which will continue to ensure that the aircraft remain separated from each other (as it does at present).

The HISPAFRA project aims to implement the concept of free route airspace (FRA) within Spain. At the European level, the FRA initiative is promoted and coordinated by EUROCONTROL. / PHOTO_INECO

the phases of hispafra

The implementation of HISPAFRA has been divided into different phases: in each phase the restrictions become more flexible and new functionalities are incorporated into the control system, while maintaining appropriate levels of capacity and safety. The European regulations stipulate that the initial phase must be implemented before 31 December 2022 and the final stage by December 2025, along with a cross-border element involving at least one other Member State. After this date, rollout of the FRA concept will continue and there will be greater cross-border implementation between Member States, thereby enabling a more flexible European airspace and more efficient planning on the part of airlines. 

For phase 1 of HISPAFRA, two FRA cells have been defined: the continental cell, comprising the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands; and the Canary Islands cell. These cells will enter into force on 21 April 2022. 

Existing published routes will not be eliminated during this initial phase; rather, airspace users will have the additional option of drawing up FRA plans that make use of these existing routes. This will enable the transition towards a free route approach for all, without changing the way in which ATC operates and with the aim of maintaining the same levels of capacity and safety, while enabling users to gradually adapt their systems in preparation for the subsequent phases. 

Looking ahead to these subsequent phases, in which free connection between a greater number of waypoints will gradually become more flexible, ENAIRE is developing and deploying a series of new functionalities for its ATC system. These functionalities enable controllers to determine, ahead of time and with increased precision, whether a particular flight level or direct route presents an air traffic risk, prior to granting ATC clearance for separation provision. Examples of the tools available include Medium-Term Conflict Detection (MTCD) and Tactical Trajectory Management (TTM).

more flexible planning

Collaboration has also begun on the study process for the subsequent phases of the HISPAFRA project. While still allowing airlines to prepare flight plans in structured airspace or FRA, and without making changes to the ATC system, the aim is to make the connection between certain FRA waypoints more flexible (whether within the same control centre or between different control centres) in comparison to existing structured routes, thereby gradually expanding the range of planning options available to users.

Over time, HISPAFRA will introduce more flexible planning options, while making changes to the ATC system in order to be able to detect conflicts. This will allow users greater flexibility, while maintaining appropriate levels of capacity and safety.

Although the FRA concept does not imply the absence of rules, it does allow for greater dispersal of air traffic in comparison to structured airspace, thereby reducing “traffic jams”

Finally, the project will introduce the possibility of eliminating restrictions with  at  least  one  neighbouring  state (so-called ‘cross-border FRA’), thereby enabling users to plan flights between different Member States as though they shared a single airspace. To achieve this, the ATC system for each Member State must have interoperability functionalities, adapted in line with the FRA concept.

Airspace is changing, and Ineco is at the forefront of these changes with a team of experts that are helping to define the  FRA significant points, the FRA concept of operations, the ATC system requirements, and the implications these developments may have for the ATC procedures to keep  safety at sustainable levels within the context of the increasingly air traffic demand.

Supported by Ineco

PHOTO_PIQSELS.COM

Since 2019, the company has helped ENAIRE to implement HISPAFRA by carrying out a range of actions:

• Publication of FRA information via AIP (Aeronautical Information Publication), in accordance with the implementation guides provided in EUROCONTROL’s ERNIP (European Route Network Improvement Plan) and in coordination with all of the actors affected by the change. 
• Collaboration with ENAIRE’s Director of Operations on the development of tools for the automated transition (during this initial phase, owing to the large volume of data for the current structure) towards the definition of HISPAFRA points (in AIP Spain) and the rules governing the restrictions on flexible connection to these points, via direct entry in the Route Availability Document (RAD). 
• Support for the changes introduced by the reviewers and the discoveries made during the pre-validation processes carried out on EUROCONTROL’s systems, prior to the implementation of HISPAFRA. 
• Support for the maintenance and updating of the operational concept for HISPAFRA, and attending (and preparing materials for) internal and external coordination meetings. 
• Support for coordination with the ATC centres of neighbouring Member States, so that the internal operational documentation for ATC is in line with the operational concept for HISPAFRA. 

1. guatemala (2020)

Worthy conditions of water and sanitation systems for indigenous children in Las Rosas Community in El Quiché, (Educo).

2. EL SALVADOR (2021)

Restoration and maintenance of the Mejicanos Children’s Development Centre and adaptation of the adjoining house (Cinde Foundation).

3. Haiti (2019)

Improvement, sanitation and access to water in the Community Health Centre of Moulin in Gros-Morne (Cesal).

4. chad (2021)

Promotion of healthy learning spaces for children in the Guéra region (Entreculturas).

5. South Soudan (2019)

Refurbishment of the maternity and paediatric ward at Bor Hospital (Doctors of the World).

6. d r of the congo (2021)

Solar energy for the General Reference Hospital of Kanzenze (Democratic Republic of the Congo), (Recover Foundation).

7. kenia (2020)

Design and implementation of an online coordination and monitoring system for work with female genital mutilation (FGM) clubs and schools (Kirira Foundation).

8. Ethiopia (2020)

Energy supply of the Meki maternal and child clinic (Pablo Horstmann Foundation).

9. india (2019)

Construction of a community centre in Rascola (ITWILLBE).

Once again, Ineco has taken part –as both exhibitor and speaker–at the World ATM Congress, the foremost international event for the air navigation industry, which took place from 26 to 28 October at Madrid’s IFEMA Trade Fair Centre. The event was organised by Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO) and the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA). Ineco shared a stand with Enaire and Senasa.

The congress, which was officially opened by the king, brought together around 10,000 professionals from 130 countries and, for the first time, hosted Expodrónica, a trade fair dedicated to the unmanned-aircraft industry. In fact, Víctor Gordo, in one of the two technical talks given by Ineco, gave a presentation on the use of drones to calibrate radio navigation. In the other talk, Eva García gave a presentation on the EOS tool for designing flight procedures.

Carmen Librero with Andrés Arranz, CEO of Senasa, and Ángel Luis Arias, general manager of ENAIRE, greeting king Felipe VI and Isabel Pardo de Vera, secretary of State for Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, at the opening ceremony. / PHOTO_ELVIRA VILA