Cyprus, a member state of the European Union (EU) will become the first south-eastern European country to use digital messages instead of voice communications to comply with EU-mandated air traffic control (ATC) standards for routine airspace clearances.
Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) must be provided by all member states in upper airspace. The Cyprus Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (CYTA) have chosen SITA’s ATC Datalink Services to support the efficient and safe operation of CPDLC in Cyprus’ airspace, which covers a land and sea surface of 175,000 km².
DCA’s Haris Antoniades, Head of Area Control Center Nicosia, said: “SITA provides complete VHF coverage of our airspace, including the maritime area, and ensures that the air/ground data exchange meets the stringent performance requirements of modern ATC operations. The new set-up allows dynamic routing of ATC messages between Cyprus’ ground control center and aircraft flying in the Cyprus airspace or its vicinity. In terms of CPDLC compliance, we are closing an important gap in European airspace.”
To cover Cyprus’ airspace, SITA is adding two new VDLm2 ground stations in Larnaca and Paphos to its existing VHF stations. SITA is also supplying the ATN (Aeronautical Telecommunication Network) ground router (based on Thales’ ProATN) and connecting to its AIRCOM® ATC services via the pan-European NewPENS ATC network.
CPDLC is a means of communication between air traffic controllers and pilots to exchange routine ATC clearance messages in digital format. Controllers can issue clearances (e.g., flight level and speed assignments), assign radio frequencies, and request information. Pilots, via their cockpit display, can respond to the messages or request information themselves.