SITA, the global IT provider for the air transport industry, is helping Cyprus comply with an EU-mandated air traffic control (ATC) standard that uses digital messages instead of voice communications for routine airspace clearances.
As a member state of the European Union, Cyprus must provide Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) in its upper airspace. Cyprus will be the first country in south-eastern Europe to implement CPDLC using ATN/VDLm2 technology as of October 2021.
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 Centre 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 centre and aircraft flying in the Cyprus airspace or its vicinity. In terms of CPDLC compliance, we are closing an important gap in European airspace.”
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