Tyumen Consolidated ACC Put into Operation on the Eve of the International Day of the Air Traffic Controller

On 19 October 2018 Tyumen Consolidated ACC of the Joint ATM System of the Russian Federation was officially put into operation. From now on air navigation services over the territory of Yamal-Nenets and Khanty-Mansiysk autonomous districts as well as Tyumen region will be provided from the Centre located at Roshchino airport. The construction of the technological building and its equipment with the Automated ATM System did not require budget funds. The financing was provided by the State ATM Corporation from extrabudgetary sources (own funds) under the Federal Target Programme “Joint ATM System Modernization (2009–2020)”. The amount totaled nearly 1.2 billion rubles according to the design estimate documentation approved by the Federal Air Transport Agency.

The area of responsibility is 1.3 million km². The number of international ATS routes, including Cross-Polar, Trans-Polar and Trans-Siberian ATS routes is 65 (total length 35509,6 km); the number of domestic ATS routes is 26 (total length 10320,9 km) and the number of RNAV route segments is 21 (14415,4 km). In 2017 the number of flights handled in this airspace area was 502,069 of which 199,092 were operated by foreign airlines.

A three-floored building of Tyumen Consolidated ACC comprises the operation room, where air traffic control services are provided, technological and support services, administrative and office facilities as well as a simulation centre to maintain the air traffic controller competencies. The expected number of Tyumen Consolidated ACC employees is 331, of whom: 60 economic service and administrative staff, 225 air traffic controllers, 40 ASM experts, 28 flight data decoding and practical skills maintaining specialists and 46 CSN personnel. Tyumen Consolidated ACC has taken over the functions of the previous Tyumen as well as Ugra, Surgut, Nizhnevartovsk, Noyabrsk, Tarko-Sale, Nadym and Yamal ATS centres. The staff members of these centres will be employed by the State ATM Corporation. Many of them will move from the Extreme North regions to southern Tyumen.

The commissioning of Tyumen Consolidated ACC required the development of a new airspace structure and upgrade of the North Siberia Air Navigation branch infrastructure facilities. In June 2016 the regional authorities and the management of the Corporation attended a ceremony of laying a time capsule for future generation. It should be noted that all construction works were completed ahead of schedule. The commissioning of Tyumen Consolidated ACC was preceded by acceptance and performance tests.

Tyumen Consolidated ACC is equipped with an automated Russian-made ATM system manufactured by JSC Concern VKO "Almaz-Antey". The system has been developed by 15 Russian companies, including NITA Company under the aegis of JSC Concern VKO "Almaz-Antey" and provides for information interaction with automated airspace management aids at the Main Air Traffic Management Centre in Moscow, adjacent zonal centres, automated airspace management aids and control facilities of other ATS units as well as technical facilities at state aviation aerodromes. ATS interfacility data communication is effected via extended protocol of voiceless automated data exchange using OLDI and AIDC. The computer system of the Automated ATM System processes data from 30 radar stations and 10 ADS-B stations and interacts with meteorological facilities; 70 VHF/HF radios are supported by the communication switching system.

“Today we are celebrating the commissioning of Tyumen Consolidated ACC. This is a remarkable event for Tyumen region and for everyone who has contributed to the design, construction and equipment of the centre”, said Head of Federal Air Transport Agency Alexander Neradko. “In 2005 air traffic services over the territory of the Russian Federation were provided by 120 ATS centres. At that time we made a very important decision to consolidate ACCs that play a strategic role in ensuring safety of civil flight operations and maintaining national defence capabilities. Special programmes providing for the construction of 15 consolidated centres were developed. Tyumen Consolidated ACC is one of the most important. One third of all flights operated by Russian and foreign airlines is handled by Tyumen Consolidated ACC; its area of responsibility includes important international airways; it has highly qualified specialists from Tyumen, Yamal and Yugra regions; the Russian state-of-the-art equipment ensures efficient and safe operations at the highest possible level. Let me congratulate all the people of the region and aviators of the country on this remarkable occasion!”

“Tyumen Consolidated ACC is of strategic importance for the Russian air transport sector. Its commissioning will increase safety level by 1.5 times. The efficiency of air traffic operations will be enhanced due to the modernization of the Joint ATM System of the Russian Federation based on new technical facilities and technologies compliant with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices”, believes Director General of the State ATM Corporation Igor Moiseenko. He also noted that the commissioning of Tyumen Consolidated ACC will increase capacity by 1.8 times, reduce operational costs for airspace users, consolidate ATC provision and improve Federal Airspace Management Rules compliance monitoring. “It is symbolic that the new Tyumen Centre has become operational on the eve of the International Day of the Air Traffic Controller”, added Igor Moiseenko.

Technical design specification enabled the introduction of new functional capabilities related to automated ATM procedures for high traffic areas. Instruments of technical supervision and operational control of all subsystems of the Automated ATM System were significantly expanded; triple redundancy with improved reliability was ensured. Digital air-to-ground communication (CPDLC) is also available now.

Furthermore, new Automated ATM System allows to calculate 4D trajectories based on BADA data taking into consideration meteorological conditions as well as ensure safety (Safety Nets), including Monitoring Aids (MONA), Conflict Resolution Assistant (CORA), Medium Term Conflict Detection (MTCD) and support decision-making. PLANETA-5 automated airspace management system provides for airspace planning and use . Megafon voice communication systems are used as voice communication subsystems: 35 working positions equipped with 15 emergency radio communication facilities.

“An ambitious task of establishing a consolidated ACC in Tyumen region stretching from the Arctic to Russia’s southern boundaries with Kazakhstan has been successfully carried out by the Concern and State ATM Corporation. The centre is equipped with an advanced automated system providing efficient air traffic services and interacting with the Russian Aerospace Forces systems and facilities”, said Deputy Director General for air navigation systems and dual use products of JSC Concern VKO "Almaz-Antey" Dmitry Savitsky.

It should be noted that the commissioning of Yekaterinburg Consolidated ACC as part of the Federal Target Programme “Joint ATM System Modernization (2009–2020)” implementation is planned for December 2018.