Airways New Zealand, DGCA open ATC simulation facility

In a milestone ceremony held in Beirut, Lebanon, Airways New Zealand and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Lebanon officially opened an advanced air traffic control (ATC) simulation facility.

Airways International has completed installation of aTotalControl LCD tower simulator and two radar/non-radar simulators atBeirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport after a 12-month project. Thefacility, to be used to train DGCA’s ATC controllers and students usingsimulated scenarios that mimic the real world, is now fully commissioned afterthe completion of site acceptance testing.

Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport YoussefFenianos officially opened the simulation facility in a ceremony attended byLebanese Government and DGCA Lebanon delegates, as well as International CivilAviation Organisation (ICAO), Airways and New Zealand Trade and Enterpriseofficials who travelled to Lebanon. The contract to build and install thesimulator was between Airways International and ICAO on behalf of DGCA Lebanon.

The TotalControl simulators imitate the full Lebanese airtraffic control flight information region, using high-fidelity photo-realgraphics for the tower and emulation of the Air Traffic Management (ATM) systemfor radar. DGCA simulator pilots can quickly create and validate exercises, andwith minimal training can manage complex simulated scenarios. Developed byAirways in partnership with Animation Research Ltd, TotalControl simulators canbe configured to meet air navigation service providers’ specific needs.