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104-560: In 1951, Finmeccanica and the United States–based company Raytheon formed Microlambda , a joint venture based in Fusaro near Naples , operating in the field of applied electronics and producing radar systems under licence for land and naval applications. In 1956, a new company, SINDEL , was established with capital provided by Edison (hydroelectric and gas distribution). Several engineers and technicians from Microlambda moved to

208-477: A ' Flight Information Service ', which is similar to flight following. In the United Kingdom, it is known as a 'basic service'. En-route air traffic controllers issue clearances and instructions for airborne aircraft, and pilots are required to comply with these instructions. En-route controllers also provide air traffic control services to many smaller airports around the country, including clearance off

312-451: A 'Single European Sky', hoping to boost efficiency and gain economies of scale. The primary method of controlling the immediate airport environment is visual observation from the airport control tower. The tower is typically a tall, windowed structure, located within the airport grounds. The air traffic controllers , usually abbreviated 'controller', are responsible for separation and efficient movement of aircraft and vehicles operating on

416-400: A bordering terminal or approach control). Terminal control is responsible for ensuring that aircraft are at an appropriate altitude when they are handed off, and that aircraft arrive at a suitable rate for landing. Not all airports have a radar approach or terminal control available. In this case, the en-route centre or a neighbouring terminal or approach control may co-ordinate directly with

520-433: A certain airport or airspace becomes a factor, there may be ground 'stops' (or 'slot delays'), or re-routes may be necessary to ensure the system does not get overloaded. The primary responsibility of clearance delivery is to ensure that the aircraft has the correct aerodrome information, such as weather and airport conditions, the correct route after departure, and time restrictions relating to that flight. This information

624-416: A controller can review the last radar returns from the aircraft to determine its likely position. For an example, see the crash report in the following citation. RAS is also useful to technicians who are maintaining radar systems. The mapping of flights in real-time is based on the air traffic control system, and volunteer ADS-B receivers. In 1991, data on the location of aircraft was made available by

728-400: A distance of 100 nautical miles (185 kilometres; 115 miles). Terminal controllers are responsible for providing all ATC services within their airspace. Traffic flow is broadly divided into departures, arrivals, and overflights. As aircraft move in and out of the terminal airspace, they are 'handed off' to the next appropriate control facility (a control tower, an en-route control facility, or

832-432: A large airspace area, they will typically use long-range radar, that has the capability, at higher altitudes, to see aircraft within 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres; 230 miles) of the radar antenna. They may also use radar data to control when it provides a better 'picture' of the traffic, or when it can fill in a portion of the area not covered by the long range radar. In the U.S. system, at higher altitudes, over 90% of

936-414: A large amount of data being available to the controller. To address this, automation systems have been designed that consolidate the radar data for the controller. This consolidation includes eliminating duplicate radar returns, ensuring the best radar for each geographical area is providing the data, and displaying the data in an effective format. Centres also exercise control over traffic travelling over

1040-417: A map of the area, the position of various aircraft, and data tags that include aircraft identification, speed, altitude, and other information described in local procedures. In adverse weather conditions, the tower controllers may also use surface movement radar (SMR), surface movement guidance and control system (SMGCS), or advanced surface movement guidance and control system (ASMGCS) to control traffic on

1144-746: A new area control centre into service at the London Area Control Centre (LACC) at Swanwick in Hampshire, relieving a busy suburban centre at West Drayton in Middlesex, north of London Heathrow Airport . Software from Lockheed-Martin predominates at the London Area Control Centre. However, the centre was initially troubled by software and communications problems causing delays and occasional shutdowns. Some tools are available in different domains to help

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1248-472: A number of airlines, particularly in Europe, have started using alphanumeric call signs that are not based on flight numbers (e.g. DLH23LG, spoken as Lufthansa -two-three-lima-golf , to prevent confusion between incoming DLH23 and outgoing DLH24 in the same frequency). Additionally, it is the right of the air traffic controller to change the 'audio' call sign for the period the flight is in his sector if there

1352-612: A proposal to change the company name. From 1 January 2017 Finmeccanica officially became Leonardo, a name inspired by the Italian savant Leonardo da Vinci . In March 2017 the Italian Treasury proposed that the veteran banker Alessandro Profumo replace Mauro Moretti as CEO of Leonardo. In May 2017 the Board appointed Alessandro Profumo to the role. On 10 May 2023 the Board of Directors appointed Mr. Roberto Cingolani to

1456-510: A radar control facility that is associated with that specific airport. In most countries, this is referred to as terminal control and abbreviated to TMC; in the U.S., it is referred to as a 'terminal radar approach control' or TRACON. While every airport varies, terminal controllers usually handle traffic in a 30-to-50-nautical-mile (56 to 93 km; 35 to 58 mi) radius from the airport. Where there are many busy airports close together, one consolidated terminal control centre may service all

1560-428: A seamless manner; in other cases, local agreements may allow 'silent handovers', such that the receiving centre does not require any co-ordination if traffic is presented in an agreed manner. After the hand-off, the aircraft is given a frequency change, and its pilot begins talking to the next controller. This process continues until the aircraft is handed off to a terminal controller ('approach'). Since centres control

1664-520: A single hole in a line of thunderstorms. Occasionally, weather considerations cause delays to aircraft prior to their departure as routes are closed by thunderstorms. Much money has been spent on creating software to streamline this process. However, at some ACCs, air traffic controllers still record data for each flight on strips of paper and personally coordinate their paths. In newer sites, these flight progress strips have been replaced by electronic data presented on computer screens. As new equipment

1768-480: A study that compared stress in the general population and this kind of system markedly showed more stress level for controllers. This variation can be explained, at least in part, by the characteristics of the job. Surveillance displays are also available to controllers at larger airports to assist with controlling air traffic. Controllers may use a radar system called secondary surveillance radar for airborne traffic approaching and departing. These displays include

1872-451: A target by interrogating the transponder, the ADS-B equipped aircraft 'broadcasts' a position report as determined by the navigation equipment on board the aircraft. ADS-C is another mode of automatic dependent surveillance, however ADS-C operates in the 'contract' mode, where the aircraft reports a position, automatically or initiated by the pilot, based on a predetermined time interval. It

1976-415: A two or three letter combination followed by the flight number such as AAL872 or VLG1011. As such, they appear on flight plans and ATC radar labels. There are also the audio or radio-telephony call signs used on the radio contact between pilots and air traffic control. These are not always identical to their written counterparts. An example of an audio call sign would be 'Speedbird 832', instead of

2080-419: A unique callsign ( Mode S ). Certain types of weather may also register on the radar screen. These inputs, added to data from other radars, are correlated to build the air situation. Some basic processing occurs on the radar tracks, such as calculating ground speed and magnetic headings. Usually, a flight data processing system manages all the flight plan related data, incorporating, in a low or high degree,

2184-541: Is a risk of confusion, usually choosing the aircraft registration identifier instead. Many technologies are used in air traffic control systems. Primary and secondary radars are used to enhance a controller's situational awareness within their assigned airspace; all types of aircraft send back primary echoes of varying sizes to controllers' screens as radar energy is bounced off their skins, and transponder -equipped aircraft reply to secondary radar interrogations by giving an ID ( Mode A ), an altitude ( Mode C ), and / or

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2288-416: Is a wide range of capabilities on these systems as they are being modernised. Older systems will display a map of the airport and the target. Newer systems include the capability to display higher-quality mapping, radar targets, data blocks, and safety alerts, and to interface with other systems, such as digital flight strips. Air control (known to pilots as tower or tower control ) is responsible for

2392-545: Is also common for ATC to provide services to all private , military , and commercial aircraft operating within its airspace; not just civilian aircraft. Depending on the type of flight and the class of airspace, ATC may issue instructions that pilots are required to obey, or advisories (known as flight information in some countries) that pilots may, at their discretion, disregard. The pilot in command of an aircraft always retains final authority for its safe operation, and may, in an emergency, deviate from ATC instructions to

2496-510: Is also coordinated with the relevant radar centre or flow control unit and ground control, to ensure that the aircraft reaches the runway in time to meet the time restriction provided by the relevant unit. At some airports, clearance delivery also plans aircraft push-backs and engine starts, in which case it is known as the ground movement planner (GMP): this position is particularly important at heavily congested airports to prevent taxiway and aircraft parking area gridlock. Flight data (which

2600-464: Is also possible for controllers to request more frequent reports to more quickly establish aircraft position for specific reasons. However, since the cost for each report is charged by the ADS service providers to the company operating the aircraft, more frequent reports are not commonly requested, except in emergency situations. ADS-C is significant, because it can be used where it is not possible to locate

2704-402: Is brought in, more and more sites are upgrading away from paper flight strips. Constrained control capacity and growing traffic lead to flight cancellation and delays : By then the market for air-traffic services was worth $ 14bn. More efficient ATC could save 5-10% of aviation fuel by avoiding holding patterns and indirect airways . The military takes 80% of Chinese airspace, congesting

2808-518: Is required to have clearance from ground control. This is normally done via VHF / UHF radio, but there may be special cases where other procedures are used. Aircraft or vehicles without radios must respond to ATC instructions via aviation light signals , or else be led by official airport vehicles with radios. People working on the airport surface normally have a communications link through which they can communicate with ground control, commonly either by handheld radio or even cell phone . Ground control

2912-480: Is responsible for the airport movement areas, as well as areas not released to the airlines or other users. This generally includes all taxiways, inactive runways, holding areas, and some transitional aprons or intersections where aircraft arrive, having vacated the runway or departure gate. Exact areas and control responsibilities are clearly defined in local documents and agreements at each airport. Any aircraft, vehicle, or person walking or working in these areas

3016-438: Is routinely combined with clearance delivery) is the position that is responsible for ensuring that both controllers and pilots have the most current information: pertinent weather changes, outages, airport ground delays / ground stops, runway closures, etc. Flight data may inform the pilots using a recorded continuous loop on a specific frequency known as the automatic terminal information service (ATIS). Many airports have

3120-546: Is the only facility with radio or phone coverage. The first airport traffic control tower, regulating arrivals, departures, and surface movement of aircraft in the US at a specific airport, opened in Cleveland in 1930. Approach / departure control facilities were created after adoption of radar in the 1950s to monitor and control the busy airspace around larger airports. The first air route traffic control center (ARTCC), which directs

3224-606: Is the position that issues route clearances to aircraft, typically before they commence taxiing. These clearances contain details of the route that the aircraft is expected to fly after departure. Clearance delivery, or, at busy airports, ground movement planner (GMP) or traffic management coordinator (TMC) will, if necessary, coordinate with the relevant radar centre or flow control unit to obtain releases for aircraft. At busy airports, these releases are often automatic, and are controlled by local agreements allowing 'free-flow' departures. When weather or extremely high demand for

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3328-443: Is to prevent collisions, organize and expedite the flow of traffic in the air, and provide information and other support for pilots. Personnel of air traffic control monitor aircraft location in their assigned airspace by radar , and communicate with the pilots by radio . To prevent collisions, ATC enforces traffic separation rules, which ensure each aircraft maintains a minimum amount of 'empty space' around it at all times. It

3432-466: Is vital to the smooth operation of the airport because this position impacts the sequencing of departure aircraft, affecting the safety and efficiency of the airport's operation. Some busier airports have surface movement radar (SMR), such as ASDE-3, AMASS, or ASDE-X , designed to display aircraft and vehicles on the ground. These are used by ground control as an additional tool to control ground traffic, particularly at night or in poor visibility. There

3536-695: The Damascus suburb Muadamia in May 2011, after the Syrian uprising had started, and sending engineers to Damascus in February 2012 to provide training in using the communications equipment in helicopter terminals, while the uprising continued. Finmeccanica stated that the equipment sales were legal, they occurred "before the outbreak of conflict inside Syria", and the equipment "was designed for use by emergency responders" for civilian use only. On 12 February 2013,

3640-903: The Federal Aviation Administration to the airline industry. The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Helicopter Association International, and the National Air Transportation Association, petitioned the FAA to make ASDI information available on a 'need-to-know' basis. Subsequently, NBAA advocated

3744-653: The Milan Borsa Italiana stock exchange. In 1992 Finmeccanica's Agusta became a 32% partner in NHIndustries , the prime contractor for the NH90 helicopter , along with Eurocopter (62.5%) and Fokker (5.5%). In July 2000 Finmeccanica and the British GKN agreed to merge their respective helicopter subsidiaries ( Agusta and GKN-Westland Helicopters ) to form AgustaWestland . In December 2001,

3848-526: The 100% owned companies of the core aerospace and defence business (AgustaWestland, Alenia Aermacchi, Oto Melara, Selex ES and WASS) being transformed into seven new Finmeccanica divisions. The current holding company will then become an operating company based on seven major business areas, maintaining its parent company and corporate centre function for the Group companies excluded from the model (DRS Technologies, Telespazio, Thales Alenia Space, MBDA and ATR). At

3952-514: The 1960s to the 1980s Italy's defence and aerospace industry was split into state-holding entities: EFIM  [ it ] owned the helicopters manufacturer Agusta , the defence company Oto Melara and the electronic enterprise Officine Galileo . STET (another IRI subsidiary) held Selenia , Elsag and SGS Thomson , all electronic enterprises with specializations in security and defense. In 1989, an internal IRI reorganization process brought STET electronic enterprises to Finmeccanica, and

4056-467: The Aeritalia-Selenia merger constituted its aerospace subsidiary Alenia . In 1992 EFIM was wound up because of its troubled financial situation; and Agusta, Oto Melara, Officine Galileo and Breda passed to Finmeccanica, which became one of the main Italian industrial groups. Finmeccanica, which was previously fully state owned by IRI, became partly privatized in 1993, when it was listed in

4160-531: The EU called for a 'Digital European Sky', focusing on cutting costs by including a common digitisation standard, and allowing controllers to move to where they are needed instead of merging national ATCs, as it would not solve all problems. Single air-traffic control services in continent-sized America and China does not alleviate congestion. Eurocontrol tries to reduce delays by diverting flights to less busy routes: flight paths across Europe were redesigned to accommodate

4264-583: The Finmeccanica Group SELEX Sistemi Integrati was the Design Authority and Prime Contractor for the design, development, manufacture and sale of Large Systems for Homeland Protection, which includes solutions for homeland security and defence. Solutions for Homeland Security comprised protection of territory and environment, borders, people, institutions and national and critical infrastructures. In this sector

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4368-407: The U.S. airspace is covered by radar, and often by multiple radar systems; however, coverage may be inconsistent at lower altitudes used by aircraft, due to high terrain or distance from radar facilities. A centre may require numerous radar systems to cover the airspace assigned to them, and may also rely on pilot position reports from aircraft flying below the floor of radar coverage. This results in

4472-492: The U.S., TRACONs are additionally designated by a three-digit alphanumeric code. For example, the Chicago TRACON is designated C90. Air traffic control also provides services to aircraft in flight between airports. Pilots fly under one of two sets of rules for separation: visual flight rules (VFR), or instrument flight rules (IFR). Air traffic controllers have different responsibilities to aircraft operating under

4576-852: The USA (former ASI Inc.), and SELEX Sistemi Integrati was established as a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica. On 1 July 2010 the Defence, Logistics and Environment operations of Elsag Datamat were transferred to SELEX Sistemi Integrati, together with Elsag's subsidiary Space Software Italia and the activities related to the PAR (Precision Approach Radar) radar systems for surface, land and naval applications, formerly owned by SELEX Galileo. In Italy SELEX Sistemi Integrati had facilities in Rome, Fusaro (Naples), Giugliano (Naples), Nerviano (Milan), Genoa , La Spezia and Taranto . Outside of Italy it had operations in

4680-633: The United Kingdom (SELEX Systems Integration Ltd and VEGA Consulting Services – focused on defence and security), Germany (SELEX Systems Integration GmbH – focused on weather radar systems), and the United States (SELEX Systems Integration Inc – focused on air navigation aids). SELEX Sistemi Integrati's activities were organised into three main sectors: Large Systems (homeland security and territory protection), Civil Systems (airport and air traffic management, coastal and maritime surveillance), and Defence Systems (land, naval and air applications). Within

4784-517: The United Kingdom, Poland and the United States. Moreover, Leonardo has gained a significant presence in France and Germany, and is a partner for various international industrial collaborations. The company is an ITER supplier. In December 2021, Leonardo Electronics announced it would be building a semiconductor device fabrication facility in Oro Valley, Arizona with construction beginning in

4888-465: The active runway surfaces. Air control gives clearance for aircraft takeoff or landing, whilst ensuring that prescribed runway separation will exist at all times. If the air controller detects any unsafe conditions, a landing aircraft may be instructed to ' go-around ', and be re-sequenced into the landing pattern. This re-sequencing will depend on the type of flight, and may be handled by the air controller, approach, or terminal area controller. Within

4992-471: The air by holding over specified locations until they may be safely sequenced to the runway. Up until the 1990s, holding, which has significant environmental and cost implications, was a routine occurrence at many airports. Advances in computers now allow the sequencing of aircraft hours in advance. Thus, aircraft may be delayed before they even take off (by being given a 'slot'), or may reduce speed in flight and proceed more slowly thus significantly reducing

5096-468: The air controllers aware of the traffic flow towards their runways to maximise runway utilisation through effective approach spacing. Crew resource management (CRM) procedures are often used to ensure this communication process is efficient and clear. Within ATC, it is usually known as 'team resource management' (TRM), and the level of focus on TRM varies within different ATC organisations. Clearance delivery

5200-900: The air traffic control system are primarily related to the volume of air traffic demand placed on the system, and weather. Several factors dictate the amount of traffic that can land at an airport in a given amount of time. Each landing aircraft must touch down, slow, and exit the runway , before the next aircraft crosses the approach end of the runway. This process requires at least one, and up to four minutes for each aircraft. Allowing for departures between arrivals, each runway can thus handle about 30 aircraft arrivals per hour. A large airport with two arrival runways can handle about 60 arrivals per hour in good weather. Problems arise when airlines schedule more arrivals into an airport than can be physically handled, or when delays elsewhere cause groups of aircraft – that would otherwise be separated in time – to arrive simultaneously. Aircraft must then be delayed in

5304-454: The air, a ground delay programme may be established, delaying aircraft on the ground before departure due to conditions at the arrival airport. In Area Control Centres, a major weather problem is thunderstorms , which present a variety of hazards to aircraft. Airborne aircraft will deviate around storms, reducing the capacity of the en-route system, by requiring more space per aircraft, or causing congestion, as many aircraft try to move through

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5408-412: The aircraft approaches its destination, the centre is responsible for issuing instructions to pilots so that they will meet altitude restrictions by specific points, as well as providing many destination airports with a traffic flow, which prohibits all of the arrivals being 'bunched together'. These 'flow restrictions' often begin in the middle of the route, as controllers will position aircraft landing in

5512-481: The aircraft operator, and identical call sign might be used for the same scheduled journey each day it is operated, even if the departure time varies a little across different days of the week. The call sign of the return flight often differs only by the final digit from the outbound flight. Generally, airline flight numbers are even if east-bound, and odd if west-bound. In order to reduce the possibility of two call signs on one frequency at any time sounding too similar,

5616-543: The airports. The airspace boundaries and altitudes assigned to a terminal control centre, which vary widely from airport to airport, are based on factors such as traffic flows, neighbouring airports, and terrain. A large and complex example was the London Terminal Control Centre (LTCC), which controlled traffic for five main London airports up to an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,096 metres) and out to

5720-578: The amount of holding. Air traffic control errors occur when the separation (either vertical or horizontal) between airborne aircraft falls below the minimum prescribed separation set (for the domestic United States) by the US Federal Aviation Administration. Separation minimums for terminal control areas (TCAs) around airports are lower than en-route standards. Errors generally occur during periods following times of intense activity, when controllers tend to relax and overlook

5824-473: The avionics, C4ISTAR and communications businesses of the two companies. In March 2007, BAE Systems sold its 25% share to Finmeccanica for €400 million. In January 2013 the company merged with Finmeccanica's other defence electronics companies, SELEX Elsag and SELEX Sistemi Integrati , to become Selex ES . In May 2008 Finmeccanica announced its intention to purchase the U.S. defense contractor DRS Technologies for nearly $ 5.2 billion. In October 2008

5928-498: The beginning of his mandate in 2014. The company changed its name to Leonardo S.p.A. on 1 January 2017, after the Italian inventor Leonardo da Vinci . Società Finanziaria Meccanica, "Finmeccanica", was established in 1948 as the mechanical engineering subholding of the state-owned Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI). Finmeccanica has held for years some historic Italian enterprises, as Alfa Romeo (automobiles), Aeritalia (aerospace) and Ansaldo (engineering). From

6032-470: The broad-scale dissemination of air traffic data. The Aircraft Situational Display to Industry ( ASDI ) system now conveys up-to-date flight information to the airline industry and the public. Some companies that distribute ASDI information are Flightradar24 , FlightExplorer, FlightView, and FlyteComm. Each company maintains a website that provides free updated information to the public on flight status. Stand-alone programmes are also available for displaying

6136-528: The centre provides a clearance. Centre controllers are responsible for issuing instructions to pilots to climb their aircraft to their assigned altitude, while, at the same time, ensuring that the aircraft is properly separated from all other aircraft in its immediate area. Additionally, the aircraft must be placed in a flow consistent with the aircraft's route of flight. This effort is complicated by crossing traffic, severe weather, special missions that require large airspace allocations, and traffic density. When

6240-635: The chief executive, Giuseppe Orsi , was arrested on corruption charges. Prosecutors alleged that he paid bribes to ensure the sale of 12 helicopters to the Indian government, when he was head of the group's AgustaWestland unit. In July 2013, the Letta government appointed former police chief Giovanni De Gennaro as Chairman of Finmeccanica. In December 2013 Finmeccanica sold 39.55% of its share capital in Ansaldo Energia to Fondo Strategico Italiano. In

6344-595: The company also realised systems for major events and crisis management. Solutions for Homeland Defence are related to the design and realisation of net-centric architectures able to operate into an inter-force and interoperable context to reach the superiority of information. The domain of technologies and critical capabilities in the field of Large Systems allowed the company to offer global solutions for Air Traffic Management, including turn key airport systems. From meteorological systems to ATC ( Air Traffic Control ) sensors, from ground stations to airspace traffic management,

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6448-548: The company offered wide range solutions. The company also offered solutions for maritime and coastal surveillance with its Vessel Traffic Management System. SELEX Sistemi Integrati was active in the design, development and sale of integrated combat naval systems, combat management systems, command and control systems, fire control systems, radar and electro-optical sensors, simulation and training systems. SELEX Sistemi Integrati also offered support mission systems including planning and mission systems, information management systems for

6552-593: The company which was specialised in professional electronics. In 1960, an international agreement led to the creation of Selenia – Associated Electronics Industries , a joint venture focused on civil and military surveillance systems whose shareholders were Finmeccanica (40%), Raytheon (40%) and Edison (20%). In 1990, Selenia merged with Aeritalia , an Italian aerospace company, forming Alenia , which had more than 30,000 employees, dealing with aeronautics, radars, naval systems, missiles, space applications, aircraft engines, as well as systems for environmental protection. In

6656-400: The company's shares and is its largest shareholder. On 1 January 2016, Leonardo-Finmeccanica became a single industrial company by integrating the activities of its subsidiaries AgustaWestland , Alenia Aermacchi , DRS Technologies , Selex ES , OTO Melara and WASS . The company is organised into five divisions (Helicopters, Aircraft, Aerostructures, Electronics, Cybersecurity). It is also

6760-603: The controller further: In the United States, some alterations to traffic control procedures are being examined: In Europe, the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) programme plans to develop new methods, technologies, procedures, and systems to accommodate future (2020 and beyond) air traffic needs. In October 2018, European controller unions dismissed setting targets to improve ATC as "a waste of time and effort", as new technology could cut costs for users but threaten their jobs. In April 2019,

6864-472: The different sets of rules. While IFR flights are under positive control, in the US and Canada, VFR pilots can request 'flight following' (radar advisories), which provides traffic advisory services on a time permitting basis, and may also provide assistance in avoiding areas of weather and flight restrictions, as well as allowing pilots into the air traffic control system prior to the need to a clearance into certain airspace. Throughout Europe, pilots may request

6968-547: The end of 2014, Finmeccanica transferred its stake in BredaMenarinibus to the newco Industria Italiana Autobus (20% Finmeccanica and 80% King Long), thereby taking a further step in the Group's portfolio rationalization process. In 2015, Hitachi signed a binding agreement with Finmeccanica for Hitachi's acquisition of the AnsaldoBreda business , excluding some revamping activities and residual contracts, and of

7072-737: The entire Finmeccanica stake in the share capital of Ansaldo STS , approximately 40% of the total capital. FATA, another subsidiary of the Finmeccanica Group since 2004 that was not part of the core business, was sold in 2015 to the Gruppo Danieli, dealing in the production of steel plants. On 1 January 2016, Finmeccanica became a single integrated industrial entity, that absorbed the activities of AgustaWestland, Alenia Aermacchi, Selex ES, OTO Melara and WASS. A company rebranding operation led by Mauro Moretti began in March 2016, with

7176-598: The equivalent term air route traffic control center. Each centre is responsible for a given flight information region (FIR). Each flight information region typically covers many thousands of square miles of airspace, and the airports within that airspace. Centres control IFR aircraft from the time they depart from an airport or terminal area's airspace, to the time they arrive at another airport or terminal area's airspace. Centres may also 'pick up' VFR aircraft that are already airborne, and integrate them into their system. These aircraft must continue under VFR flight rules until

7280-575: The extent required to maintain safe operation of the aircraft. Pursuant to requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), ATC operations are conducted either in the English language, or the local language used by the station on the ground. In practice, the native language for a region is used; however, English must be used upon request. In 1920, Croydon Airport near London, England,

7384-465: The first half of 2014, Finmeccanica's new Chief Executive Officer and General Manager Mauro Moretti started a significant process of change for the Group, both in terms of strategic choices and organizational structure. The goal was to create a more cohesive and efficient group in which all processes (research, marketing and sales, engineering, procurement, strategies and governance) are centralized and integrated and can interact each other. This encompasses

7488-541: The first half of 2022. As of March 2023, Leonardo's largest shareholder was the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finances with 30.20%. Sources: Air Traffic Control Air traffic control ( ATC ) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace , and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airspace. The primary purpose of ATC

7592-523: The following provides a general concept of the delegation of responsibilities within the air traffic control tower environment. Remote and virtual tower (RVT) is a system based on air traffic controllers being located somewhere other than at the local airport tower, and still able to provide air traffic control services. Displays for the air traffic controllers may be live video, synthetic images based on surveillance sensor data, or both. Ground control (sometimes known as ground movement control , GMC)

7696-432: The geographic location of airborne instrument flight rules (IFR) air traffic anywhere in the FAA air traffic system. Positions are reported for both commercial and general aviation traffic. The programmes can overlay air traffic with a wide selection of maps such as, geo-political boundaries, air traffic control centre boundaries, high altitude jet routes, satellite cloud and radar imagery. The day-to-day problems faced by

7800-427: The ground and clearance for approach to an airport. Controllers adhere to a set of separation standards that define the minimum distance allowed between aircraft. These distances vary depending on the equipment and procedures used in providing ATC services. En-route air traffic controllers work in facilities called air traffic control centres, each of which is commonly referred to as a 'centre'. The United States uses

7904-518: The history of radar manufacturing, which, in Italy, began about 60 years ago in the Fusaro site (Naples). The Radar Museum covers an area of about 750 square metres divided into four zones: exhibition area, documents archive, simulation area and conference room. The exhibition also includes an external area featuring some of the most significant radar antennas developed and built by SELEX Sistemi Integrati in

8008-408: The information of the track once the correlation between them (flight plan and track) is established. All this information is distributed to modern operational display systems , making it available to controllers. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has spent over US$ 3 billion on software, but a fully automated system is still yet to be achieved. In 2002, the United Kingdom commissioned

8112-571: The infrastructure for a radar system (e.g., over water). Computerised radar displays are now being designed to accept ADS-C inputs as part of their display. This technology is currently used in portions of the North Atlantic and the Pacific by a variety of states who share responsibility for the control of this airspace. 'Precision approach radars' (PAR) are commonly used by military controllers of air forces of several countries, to assist

8216-424: The last three numbers (e.g. three-four-five for N12345). In the United States, the prefix may be an aircraft type, model, or manufacturer in place of the first registration character, for example, 'N11842' could become 'Cessna 842'. This abbreviation is only allowed after communications have been established in each sector. Before around 1980, International Air Transport Association (IATA) and ICAO were using

8320-434: The late 1990s Alenia was split into two companies in order to focus on its core activities more effectively: Alenia Aerospazio specialising in the design and production of aircraft and space systems, and Alenia Difesa dealing with radars , missiles , naval systems, avionics , together with the company Otobreda. In the mid-1990s, the management of Alenia Difesa decided to form an international alliance. The chosen partner

8424-607: The logistic process support and test and validation integrated systems. With the fixed (FADR) and deployable (DADR) version of RAT31DL, SELEX Sistemi Integrati was the main European supplier of 3D long-range radar into the NATO area. On April 2, 2009, SELEX Sistemi Integrati opened the Radar Museum, the first created by a company in Europe. The Radar Museum is founded on the principles of reclaiming, reorganizing and keeping alive

8528-517: The manoeuvring area (taxiways and runways). The areas of responsibility for tower controllers fall into three general operational disciplines: local control or air control, ground control, and flight data / clearance delivery. Other categories, such as airport apron control, or ground movement planner, may also exist at extremely busy airports. While each tower may have unique airport-specific procedures, such as multiple teams of controllers ( crews ) at major or complex airports with multiple runways,

8632-419: The missile business of Alenia Marconi Systems (AMS), a joint Finmeccanica/ BAE Systems company, was merged with other European missile manufacturers to form MBDA , which became the world's second largest missile manufacturer. In July 2003 Finmeccanica and BAE Systems announced their intention to set up three joint venture companies, to be collectively known as Eurosystems . These companies would have pooled

8736-465: The movement of aircraft between departure and destination, was opened in Newark in 1935, followed in 1936 by Chicago and Cleveland. Currently in the US, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operates 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers . After the 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision , killing all 128 on board, the FAA was given the air-traffic responsibility in the United States in 1958, and this

8840-530: The new airport in Istanbul, which opened in April, but the extra capacity will be absorbed by rising demand for air travel. Well-paid jobs in western Europe could move east with cheaper labour. The average Spanish controller earn over €200,000 a year, over seven times the country average salary, more than pilots, and at least ten controllers were paid over €810,000 ($ 1.1m) a year in 2010. French controllers spent

8944-438: The overall capacity for any given route. The North Atlantic Track system is a notable example of this method. Some air navigation service providers (e.g., Airservices Australia, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Nav Canada , etc.) have implemented automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) as part of their surveillance capability. This newer technology reverses the radar concept. Instead of radar 'finding'

9048-561: The parent company and corporate centre for the subsidiaries and joint ventures Telespazio , Thales Alenia Space , MBDA and ATR . Leonardo is listed on the Borsa Italiana and is a constituent of the FTSE MIB and Dow Jones Sustainability Indices . As of April 2016 , the company was known by the transitional name of Leonardo-Finmeccanica, as part of the restructuring process of the company carried out by CEO Mauro Moretti from

9152-493: The past. Finmeccanica Leonardo S.p.A. , formerly Leonardo-Finmeccanica and originally Finmeccanica , is an Italian multinational company specialising in aerospace , defence and security . Headquartered in Rome , Italy , the company has 180 sites worldwide. It is the 12th largest defence contractor in the world based on 2020 revenues. The company is partially owned by the Italian government, which holds 30.2% of

9256-482: The pilot in final phases of landing in places where instrument landing system and other sophisticated airborne equipment are unavailable to assist the pilots in marginal or near zero visibility conditions. This procedure is also called a 'talk-down'. A radar archive system (RAS) keeps an electronic record of all radar information, preserving it for a few weeks. This information can be useful for search and rescue . When an aircraft has 'disappeared' from radar screens,

9360-464: The position of Chief Executive Officer and General Manager, Mr. Stefano Pontecorvo to the role of Chairman, Mr. Lorenzo Mariani to the role of Co-General Manager. Leonardo is present worldwide in about 20 countries (42% in Italy and 58% abroad). Commercially, there are about 150 countries in the world that use products, systems and services supplied by Leonardo. Its production activities and its main industrial and commercial bases are located in Italy,

9464-544: The presence of traffic and conditions that lead to loss of minimum separation. Beyond runway capacity issues, the weather is a major factor in traffic capacity. Rain, ice , snow, or hail on the runway cause landing aircraft to take longer to slow and exit, thus reducing the safe arrival rate, and requiring more space between landing aircraft. Fog also requires a decrease in the landing rate. These, in turn, increase airborne delay for holding aircraft. If more aircraft are scheduled than can be safely and efficiently held in

9568-501: The sale of DRS Technologies was finalized. During 2011–2013, Finmeccanica emails were published by WikiLeaks and Finmeccanica was subject to judicial inquiries on several fronts and management changes. According to Finmeccanica emails published in the Syria Files release by WikiLeaks on 5 July 2012, Finmeccanica increased its sale of mobile communications equipment to Syrian authorities during 2011, delivering 500 of these to

9672-400: The same destination so that when the aircraft are close to their destination they are sequenced. As an aircraft reaches the boundary of a centre's control area, it is 'handed off' or 'handed over' to the next area control centre . In some cases, this 'hand-off' process involves a transfer of identification and details between controllers so that air traffic control services can be provided in

9776-550: The same two-letter call signs. Due to the larger number of new airlines after deregulation, the ICAO established the three-letter call signs as mentioned above. The IATA call signs are currently used in aerodromes on the announcement tables, but are no longer used in air traffic control. For example, AA is the IATA call sign for American Airlines ; the ATC equivalent is AAL. Flight numbers in regular commercial flights are designated by

9880-418: The taxiways and runways of the airport itself, and aircraft in the air near the airport, generally 5 to 10 nautical miles (9 to 19 kilometres ; 6 to 12 miles ), depending on the airport procedures. A controller must carry out the job using the precise and effective application of rules and procedures; however, they need flexible adjustments according to differing circumstances, often under time pressure. In

9984-418: The thin corridors open to airliners. The United Kingdom closes its military airspace only during military exercises. A prerequisite to safe air traffic separation is the assignment and use of distinctive call signs . These are permanently allocated by ICAO on request, usually to scheduled flights , and some air forces and other military services for military flights . There are written call signs with

10088-452: The tower on the airport and vector inbound aircraft to a position from where they can land visually. At some of these airports, the tower may provide a non-radar procedural approach service to arriving aircraft handed over from a radar unit before they are visual to land. Some units also have a dedicated approach unit, which can provide the procedural approach service either all the time, or for any periods of radar outage for any reason. In

10192-432: The tower, a highly disciplined communications process between the air control and ground control is an absolute necessity. Air control must ensure that ground control is aware of any operations that will impact the taxiways, and work with the approach radar controllers to create gaps in the arrival traffic; to allow taxiing traffic to cross runways, and to allow departing aircraft to take off. Ground control needs to keep

10296-557: The world's ocean areas. These areas are also flight information regions (FIRs). Because there are no radar systems available for oceanic control, oceanic controllers provide ATC services using procedural control . These procedures use aircraft position reports, time, altitude, distance, and speed, to ensure separation. Controllers record information on flight progress strips , and in specially developed oceanic computer systems, as aircraft report positions. This process requires that aircraft be separated by greater distances, which reduces

10400-496: The written 'BAW832'. This is used to reduce the chance of confusion between ATC and the aircraft. By default, the call sign for any other flight is the registration number (or tail number in US parlance) of the aircraft, such as 'N12345', 'C-GABC', or 'EC-IZD'. The short radio-telephony call signs for these tail numbers is the last three letters using the NATO phonetic alphabet (e.g. ABC, spoken alpha-bravo-charlie for C-GABC), or

10504-507: Was created in 1922, after World War I, when the U.S. Post Office began using techniques developed by the U.S. Army to direct and track the movements of reconnaissance aircraft . Over time, the AMRS morphed into flight service stations . Today's flight service stations do not issue control instructions, but provide pilots with many other flight related informational services. They do relay control instructions from ATC in areas where flight service

10608-702: Was followed by other countries. In 1960, Britain, France, Germany, and the Benelux countries set up Eurocontrol , intending to merge their airspaces. The first and only attempt to pool controllers between countries is the Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC), founded in 1972 by Eurocontrol, and covering Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and north-western Germany. In 2001, the European Union (EU) aimed to create

10712-579: Was the British firm GEC-Marconi , and Alenia Marconi Systems (later AMS) came into being in 1998 with shareholding divided equally between Finmeccanica and GEC-Marconi. A few months later, Marconi merged with British Aerospace , forming BAE Systems . In 2005 Finmeccanica acquired BAE Systems' interests in the Italian operations of Alenia Marconi Systems, together with BAE Systems' UK-based Air Traffic Management (ATM) and Air Traffic Control (ATC) (former Air Traffic Management and Airport Systems Division) and

10816-415: Was the first airport in the world to introduce air traffic control. The 'aerodrome control tower' was a wooden hut 15 feet (5 metres) high with windows on all four sides. It was commissioned on 25 February 1920, and provided basic traffic, weather, and location information to pilots. In the United States, air traffic control developed three divisions. The first of several air mail radio stations (AMRS)

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