Jeppesen to audit Moscow airspace structure

The US navigation specialist Jeppesen will carry out an additional audit of the so-called New Airspace Structure (NAS) above Moscow, which is currently under development, Russia’s government-owned State ATM Corporation has informed Russian Aviation Insider.

The previous audit drew some criticism; these remarks have been taken in account in drafting the new version of the NAS. According to Igor Moiseyenko, head of the national air traffic management service provider, the aim of the new project is to “take into consideration all the requirements and requests voiced by airspace users, ensure the most convenient flight environment, while at the same time striking a balance between economy and flight safety”.

The Moscow NAS will be operated by a new dedicated flight operations center program, designed and produced especially for the Moscow ATM Center by Russian defense manufacturer Almaz-Antey. The software is in its final stage of testing, which involves simulated real-time operations at maximum capacity. After the end of the trials, and once Jeppesen has completed its audit, State ATM Corporation will coordinate the NAS with airlines and other stakeholders.

Air traffic in Moscow airspace is currently managed by means of TERCAS, a Swedish-designed automated ATM system which was introduced in 1981. Despite several upgrades over the years, that system has grown obsolete. The original schedule called for it to be replaced with the NAS in 2012-13. However, after its initial audit Jeppesen decided that the new system provided too low safety and efficiency, and needed to be improved. Objections from airlines also caused delays to the introduction of the new system. The recent plan implies that the system will become operational by the end of 2016.