New surface movement radar at Melbourne

Airservices Australia announced on December 17 that it has commissioned Australia’s first advanced surface movement radar, at Melbourne Airport.

The $35 million Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS) aggregates surveillance data from multiple sources and helps to improve controllers’ situational awareness of possible ground conflicts, particularly at night or during bad weather.

“While this technology does not replace the visual monitoring our controllers conduct, it will add another layer of safety to our operations at Australia’s busiest airports,” said Airservices general manager air traffic control Jason Harfield.

A-SMGCS will be rolled out to Sydney, Brisbane and Perth airports during 2010.