National Air Traffic Services (Nats) is seeking advice from a range
of suppliers on the future of its IT, which could lead in the
longer term to the replacement of some systems at a new air traffic
control centre at Swanwick in Hampshire.
The £700m control centre at Swanwick is due to become operational
in January next year but its opening has been delayed for nearly
six years by software integration problems. Some of the system
design is already dated.
It dates back to 1989, and relies, in part, on an IBM-based Flight
Data Processing System (FDPS) that contains some software created
in the 1970s.
It was the FDPS software installed at the London Area and Terminal
Control Centre at West Drayton near Heathrow which crashed four
times last year, on two occasions causing delays to flights.
The FDPS' obsolete hardware, a 4381 mainframe, was successfully
replaced this week. But some of the software is still based on the
Jovial programming language from the 1970s.
Nats has issued a request for information from suppliers of air
traffic control systems, including Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and
Thompson. It was encouraged to do so by The Airline Group, which is
expected to take over control of 46% of Nats from the Government
later this month.
The aim, according to Nats, is to look at the future development
path of its air traffic control systems, including those at
Swanwick. It denies that there is any intention to replace all of
Swanwick's main systems, although one of the priorities is to look
at replacing the FDPS software.
The Airline Group, which comprises seven airlines including Virgin,
British Midland and British Airways, also wants Nats to take a
fresh approach to buying air traffic control systems. It has
suggested that Nats seek more competition between major suppliers.
Currently, Lockheed Martin is the main supplier of new air traffic
control systems to Nats. It has been paid £337m for the Swanwick
system and it is also the main supplier of IT at a second air
traffic control centre in Scotland.
A Nats spokesman said the aim of seeking information from suppliers
was to find a "development path for the future". The Swanwick
centre's systems have exceeded expectations, he said, but there was
a need to look at ways to enhance or replace some systems within
the next 10 years.
Tony Collins
tony.collins@rbi.co.uk