by Elsie Clark | Dec 2, 2025 | Connectivity
Austro Control, Austria’s air navigation service provider, has selected ADB Safegate to undertake a comprehensive overhaul of the air traffic control (ATC) systems at Vienna Airport (VIE).
Following a competitive international tendering process, the company chose ADB Safegate’s sophisticated OneControl integrated platform, a cutting-edge tower suite designed to modernise all controller working positions in the Vienna Airport ATC Tower. The advanced system, already in use at major international hubs like Hamburg, is set for commissioning by the end of 2028.
OneControl’s key feature is its ability to unify disparate systems. Traditionally, air traffic controllers work across numerous independent displays for functions like surveillance and flight planning. The new platform integrates all safety-critical information into a single, intuitive interface, providing controllers with immediate and complete situational awareness of aircraft and vehicle movements on the apron, aerodrome, and in the air. This consolidation facilitates faster, more accurate decision-making and is expected to enhance overall safety, streamline operations, and support more efficient, sustainable air traffic management.
Philipp Piber, Managing Director of Austro Control, highlighted the strategic importance of the upgrade, stating:
With OneControl, we are relying on state-of-the-art technology and maximum operational reliability. The system will provide our air traffic controllers with optimal support in the safe and efficient handling of air traffic.
The system also includes features such as advanced conflict detection and automated workflows aimed at reducing controller workload and helping the airport to optimise its airside efficiency.
Vienna Airport handled over 31 million passengers in 2024, its highest numbers since 2019. ATC investment will help make air traffic management at Austria’s aviation hub more streamlined and effective.
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by Elsie Clark | Nov 20, 2025 | Avionics, Connectivity
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) are calling for safeguards around the deployment of 5G/6G to protect avionics systems and radio altimeters.
IATA has presented a paper at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) WP5B Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland that outlines priority areas for protection. Radio altimeters, which need spectrum availability, must be taken into consideration in 5G planning to ensure aircraft and crew operate at optimum situational awareness.
Guiding the ITU’s studies will inform the output of the World Radiocommunications Conference 2027 (WRC-27), which will determine the technical conditions for 5G and 6G deployment.
Nick Careen, IATA Senior Vice President Operations, Safety and Security, said:
The benefits of 5G and 6G can never come at the cost of aviation safety. Spectrum decisions must be based on real-world aircraft operations, not idealized telecommunications industry modelling. That means ensuring ITU studies fully reflect the most demanding conditions pilots face. With input from aviation users, WRC-27 must deliver clear global rules to ensure the safe coexistence of radio altimeters and other safety-critical avionic systems with next-generation telecom networks across all phases of flight
In many countries, telecommunications providers have voluntarily implemented measures to avoid interference with o the Radio Altimeter (RAD ALT) allocation (4.2–4.4 GHz). However, in countries such as Canada, these temporary measures are about to expire, potentially leaving aviation communications vulnerable.
Careen added:
Current 5G mitigations were never designed as a long-term solution and several will expire within months. At the same time, more resilient radio altimeters will not reach airlines until the next decade. That leaves a significant mitigation gap. With new spectrum auctions underway and protections being lifted in key markets, regulators must not assume safety will take care of itself. The industry needs clear, consistent safeguards to bridge the period before new altimeters are available.
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by Elsie Clark | Nov 19, 2025 | Connectivity, Innovation
Airbus and Telefónica won Collaboration of the Year at our Aerospace Tech Review Awards in April 2025 for their innovations in 5G connectivity. Working with the Spanish Air and Space Force, the project connected aircraft with servers on the ground to transmit medical data more effectively.
To get the lowdown on the collaboration, Aerospace Tech Review caught up with Carlos Gómez, Research and Technology Project Leader for Airbus Defence and Space. He explained how improving 5G connectivity was essential for the Spanish Air and Space Force to provide more effective communications.
5G brings three major advantages: ultra-low latency, high bandwidth, and the ability to connect thousands of devices simultaneously. This allows information to be exchanged across different domains — land, sea, air, and space — and enables more co-ordinated and informed decision-making.
Airbus and Telefónica each brough different strengths to the project: Airbus’s contributed engineering expertise for the installation of comms equipment, while Telefónica provided the necessary 5G infrastructure. In tests, the system worked successfully to transmit medical data, offering potential lifelines of support in an emergency scenario.
Using medical sensors on the aircraft, we could send information from the patient to a hospital, where the doctor could see the rate of the patient in real time. We also performed a video conference test between the aircraft and a military base.
The future of connectivity
With further investment taking place to make the solution even more advanced, the project is set to evolve and explore 5G use in applications beyond telemedicine. Gómez sees 6G as the next big transformation that Airbus has its eye on for future connectivity.
6G will bring new dimensions like integrated sensing, communication, AI, even integration with terrestrial aerospace systems. This will allow near real-time situational awareness, autonomous decision-making, and resilient communication even in the most challenging environments.
The collaboration stands as testament to what can be achieved when the aerospace industry combines its strengths to deliver effective solutions. Gómez concludes:
For us, this Aerospace Tech Review Award is more than just recognition. It’s a reminder of what is possible when passionate and professional people come together. It gives us more motivation to keep innovating.
🎥 Watch the full interview to hear the full story behind Airbus and Telefónica’s award-winning collaboration.
Questions asked include:
- How did you go about developing your 5G solution? How did Telefonica and Airbus combine their strengths?
- What lessons did both Telefonica and Airbus learn from working together?
- What results did you achieve? What successes did you see in testing and application?
- Will your 5G solution be expanded for use in other applications/used by other countries? How would you like to improve it in the future?
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by Elsie Clark | Nov 18, 2025 | Connectivity, Innovation
DSNA, the French air navigation services provider, have executed a successful pilot of SITA’s weather intelligence technology.
During a proof-of-concept at the Reims Area Control Centre, DSNA tested SITA’s Enhanced Weather Awareness System (eWAS) and Mission Watch over 21 days from July to October 2025. Originally developed for airlines, these SITA products provide continuous real-time updates on global weather.
During the pilot, DSNA were able to use that information to plan traffic flow significantly more effectively. The authority reported that they were able to reduce delays by up to 65% and handle 2,700 more flights, resulting in an extra €2 million in revenue.
Gael Barbezier, Head of Operations at Reims ACC, commented:
Weather is one of the biggest challenges for air navigation service providers. Working with SITA allowed us to maintain full safety, avoid any weather-related uncontrolled situations, and adjust capacity precisely to the weather avoiding unnecessary reductions in traffic. It feels like we’ve found the key to bringing stability to something that has always been unpredictable.
Unexpected disruption due to weather events can seriously derail airport operations. Earlier this year, stormy weather and poor visibility led to the closure of Nice Airport after two aircraft nearly collided on the runway. With the number of severe weather events only set to increase due to climate change, it is imperative to find better solutions for managing air traffic whatever the climate conditions.
Yann Cabaret, the CEO of SITA for Aircraft, added:
When controllers, pilots and dispatchers all see accurate, real-time weather information, they can plan and adapt together. That means fewer delays, smoother operations and safer flights for passengers.
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by Elsie Clark | Nov 17, 2025 | Avionics, Connectivity, Innovation
Fokker Services Group has launched a new anti-spoofing solution for the protection of critical avionics systems.
Rather than just detecting GPS spoofing and jamming, the Dutch company says the solution actively defends aircraft systems from attempted attacks. Providing a ‘full-spectrum’ defence, the countermeasures can be integrated with any avionics system and do not require additional pilot training.
Fokker Services CEO Menzo van der Beek said:
Safety is at the heart of everything we do. We assembled a team of experts to develop a solution that directly addresses the hazards posed by GPS disruptions. With very positive test results and expected entry into service scheduled for January 2026 with undisclosed launching operators, we’re confident this solution will bring peace of mind to pilots, crews, and airlines.
The introduction of such a solution comes at a critical time in aerospace. GPS spoofing and jamming incidents have increased significantly in Eastern Europe and the Middle East over the past few years. In one of 2025’s most high-profile incidents, a suspected Russian GPS attack forced pilots carrying the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to land her plane with paper maps.
Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS), Flight Management Systems (FMS), and the Terrain Avoidance Warning Systems (TAWS) are among the avionics systems that can be targeted during such attacks. Developing robust security and defence systems is critical to maintain the safe positioning and landing of air crew and passengers.
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by Elsie Clark | Nov 3, 2025 | Connectivity
Air traffic controllers at Berlin Brandenburg Airport were forced to suspend flights for two hours after a drone was discovered breaching its aerospace.
The incident occurred on Friday 31st October at around 8pm, with incoming aircraft forced to divert to other airports in Germany.
Ralph Beisel, managing director of the German Airports Association (Flughafenverband ADV), described the incident as a ‘wake-up call.’ He added:
When take-offs and landings are stopped and numerous aircraft have to be diverted to other airports, it is not only flight operations that come to a standstill, passenger confidence in the safety of air traffic also suffers.
Airports must not be left alone here. Drone detection and defence are sovereign tasks of the state and must be tackled comprehensively and consistently.
Drone overflights are on the up, with German traffic control reporting 155 incidents this year so far, a sharp increase from the 15 recorded in 2023. It is currently unclear if the latest drone intrusion was part of surveillance activities, as is suspected with recent drone overflights at Kleine-Brogel military base in Belgium.
Unnmanned aerial objects have caused further disturbance elsewhere in Europe. Vilnius Airport in Lithuania has been forced to close six times in October, for multiple hours on each occasion, due to helium balloons from Belarus entering its airspace. The balloons smuggle contraband into the EU, a criminal activity that also serves to put geopolitical pressure on the bloc.
Additionally, Russian drones have all invaded Lithuanian, Polish, and Estonian airspace in the past year as Putin tries to provoke NATO. To strengthen defence capabilities and keep airports running as normal, Europe must find a way to limit these incursions.
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