Two ATM Research And Development Centers Open In Singapore

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) marked a significant milestone in its vision to establish a Center of Excellence (CoE) for ATM with the inauguration of the ATM Research Institute (ATMRI) and MITRE Asia Pacific Singapore (MAPS).

The inauguration ceremony of the two centers was presided over by Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Transport, Mrs Josephine Teo. Some 140 global aviation leaders attending the World Civil Aviation Chief Executives Forum in Singapore this week participated in the ceremony.

CAAS is developing Singapore as a Center of Excellence for ATM to improve the efficiency and safety of air traffic management in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region. This will allow passengers to travel more quickly, more comfortably, and in greater safety.

The ATMRI and MAPS are key elements of CAAS’ strategy. They will conduct distinct yet complementary advanced research and development (R&D) activities. The ATMRI, Singapore’s first institute dedicated to ATM R&D jointly set up by CAAS and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), will nurture talent in the ATM domain and translate academic-based research into ATM solutions. Some of the ATMRI’s work areas include, air route modelling and simulation, air-ground traffic management, unmanned aircraft systems management, aviation weather research, and human factors in ATM.

“NTU is now home to one of the world’s most advanced air traffic towers and radar simulators, capable of modelling the most complex situations and scenarios at Changi Airport as well as other international airports," said NTU Provost, Professor Freddy Boey. "The ATMRI, set up in partnership with CAAS, has identified ten research projects that will leverage on these world-class simulators. These include integrated arrival and departure management systems and unmanned aircraft systems. With NTU’s strength in engineering and track record of impactful industry collaborations, we are confident that our partnership with CAAS will go a long way in helping Singapore maintain its lead as an air transportation hub and gateway.”

MAPS, established through a partnership between The MITRE Corporation (MITRE) and CAAS, is MITRE’s first R&D center outside the United States and serves as the premier collaboration space for regional ATM harmonisation. It will deliver solutions to meet the ATM needs of Singapore and the region. MITRE, a not-for-profit organisation, is a recognised leader in advanced ATM capabilities, with over 50 years of experience in advanced R&D for the FAA and civil aviation authorities around the world. MITRE will apply its breadth and depth of knowledge to adapt state-of-the-art ATM solutions to suit the region’s requirements. This will include the recreation of significant capabilities from MITRE’s Integration Demonstration and Experimentation for Aeronautics (IDEA) Laboratory in the Singapore facility. Some of the projects undertaken by MAPS include new tools for air traffic operations, remote tower for high density operations, speech recognition for runway safety, aerodrome obstacle limitation surfaces, ATM data capability development, and aviation safety information analysis and data sharing.

“First let me congratulate CAAS on making their vision of a Center of Excellence (CoE) a reality. We are proud to have partnered with CAAS to establish MAPS, our first laboratory outside of the U.S.," said Senior Vice President of MITRE, Ms Lillian Ryals. "The full suite of capabilities we offer is tailored to support Singapore and the Asia Pacific region, and will serve to demonstrate the future and make new concepts and technologies come alive. We look forward to strengthening our collaboration with CoE members and other regional stakeholders as we help the region transform ATM and effect global harmonization.”

“ATM is a critical part of the Singapore aviation system," said Director-General of CAAS, Mr Kevin Shum. "We will have to raise our ATM capabilities as air traffic in the region grows. As in other fields, we advance by investing in the future, and ATM is no different. We are energised by the strong support and dedication of our partners, NTU and MITRE, who share our vision of advancing ATM for safer and more efficient air travel. Our goals are to maximise airspace capacity, optimise aircraft operations, as well as enhance the performance of air traffic controllers. These centers provide us with the opportunity to safely test-bed solutions and advanced simulations based on actual data before they are translated into real-world applications. They will help to ensure that a high level of safety and service standards is maintained even in the face of air traffic growth.”

(Images provided by CAAS)

FMI: www.caas.gov.sg, www.ntu.edu.sg, www.mitre.org