Boeing

Boeing Air Traffic Management (ATM) and Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), business units of The Boeing Company, announced today that they reached an agreement with LVNL, the air traffic control organization of the Netherlands. They will jointly develop and validate solutions to enhance the safety, efficiency and environmental performance of operations at Schiphol Airport.

The project team will be jointly managed by Boeing and LVNL and will work according to LVNL development procedures. This guarantees that any changes to the Dutch system meet the needs of both customers and air traffic management professionals.

"LVNL already does a great job running the air traffic system in and around one of the world's most challenging airport environments," said John Hayhurst, president of Boeing ATM. "We at ATM are proud that they have selected us to help them make their current operations even better, as well as enable efficient, environmentally-sensitive growth. Our joint efforts will provide real, practical ways to improve air traffic management capabilities at Schiphol," he said.

"The cooperation with Boeing enables LVNL to augment its efforts to develop air traffic management systems," said Eric Kroese, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of LVNL. "This ensures that LVNL will meet the future demands of its stakeholders. It is essential that airline companies, manufacturers, ATM providers and airport authorities jointly approach the expected further growth of the air transportation industry."

Boeing and LVNL will evaluate areas of mutual interest, including the integration of aircraft and ground systems to enhance departure and arrival procedures around Schiphol. Enhanced arrival management will allow more efficient use of runway capacity and should result in reduced flight delays, improved fuel efficiency and shorter flight duration.

The joint project, which will be done in three phases, begins immediately and is expected to last two years. The project will begin with a high-level examination of the current airspace design, operating procedures and air traffic equipment used to support operations at Schiphol. During phase two, the Boeing-LVNL team will generate and develop specific ideas for improving the air traffic system in and around the airport, both from efficiency and environmental standpoints. Phase three of this project will comprise field validations of the ideas developed in phase two.

"This team brings together extensive knowledge of critical pieces of the air transportation system: the airplanes, air traffic control, communication and flight schedule adherence. Using an integrated team approach to solve the challenges faced by the current system will lead to a much more efficient, secure and environmentally sound air traffic management system," Hayhurst said.