Steve Anderson, Head of Future Airport Operations, NATS, spoke with Global Airspace Radar during the Airspace World event to discuss various technologies and their importance to ANSPs.
Project Bluebird
Starting with artificial intelligence (AI), which seemed to be a ‘must have’ topic during the event. His view is that there will always need to be a human involved and AI is a tool that assists organisations in dealing complex issues. In partnership with the Alan Turing Institute and the University of Exeter, NATS conducted Project Bluebird. Project Bluebird is using digital twinning and machine learning techniques to map, shadow and create a range of air traffic scenarios based on NATS’ historic data, as well as provide realistic probabilistic simulations of historic or synthetic scenarios.
Funded through a partnership between UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) and NATS, Project Bluebird is striving to develop competent ‘AI agents’ which have learnt about real-world air traffic scenarios. It is about understanding what these AI agents could do to help ensure air traffic controllers have the data and AI-driven technology to help them manage the extra demands on our airspace.
Learn more about Project Bluebird.
One thought on the possible use of AI is in respect to digital towers. Digital towers have already been in use in different forms for ten years. AI could be implemented as an enabler for this solution. Something for consideration.
Important technologies for ANSPs
System Oriented Architectures (SOA) provide a stable platform for digitisation, but today our industry is digitising in silos. In order to reach the desired goal, we need to have real collaboration, not just dashboards. In other words, more data sharing between different organisations.
Cybersecurity has to be a core technology for every ANSP. ANSPs require resilience, and in order to achieve this planning and programmes are required. It’s critical to have a team that is dedicated to cyber and not just have it layered into other roles.
Drones still aren’t scaling as predicted. Why is this? It’s not the technology. The technology is there, but we still don’t have standardisation. Across the industry we need to agree on the priorities for drones. Regulation is only a part of it, this needs to be market driven.
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) also needs more concensus in the market. What is the business model and how. Today the focus of NATS on this topic is regarding the CONOPS for airspace operations working with the regulator regarding the rules for airspace access. This also leads us to vertiports. In short, they could be located anywhere, but the key is this traffic needs to be managed by the respective air traffic control organisations.
Lastly, collaboration is the key for our industry to move forward with technology. This word tends to become a buzzword lately, but Steve raised a key differentiator, “collaboration should be the driver across the tools and platforms that we use, it’s not just about the technology.”
About Steve Anderson
Steve Anderson has over 25 years’ experience across air traffic management and major UK airport operations. A former Air Traffic Controller and Tower Manager, he combines deep operational expertise with strategic leadership in transformation, performance and technology innovation, transforming operations at some of the busiest and complex airports in the UK. Passionate about data-driven decision making, collaborative operational performance and using technology to improve flow, resilience and sustainability in complex aviation environments, Steve is particularly focused on shaping the intelligent, integrated airport operations of the future, where automation, AI and human expertise combine to deliver safer, more resilient and higher-performing aviation systems.
