The Moscow Regional Center of the Unified Air Traffic Management System (MC AATC, part of the State ATC Corporation, subordinate to the Federal Air Transport Agency) is preparing to transition to the new automated system (AS) for the Galaxy air traffic management (ATM) developed by the Azimut company of the Rostec State Corporation. Operational testing of the equipment has been successfully completed. Rosaviatsiya confirmed the system's compliance with established requirements. Deputy Head of Rosaviatsiya Andrey Potyomkin presented the type certificate to the CEO of Azimut, Asker Saidov.
The Moscow area of the Unified Air Traffic Management System is the most complex in Russia in terms of the number of aerodromes, types of flights, and intensity of air traffic. Within the responsibility area of the Moscow Center for Automated Air Traffic Control, there are over 100 aerodromes, including 10 international ones. Approximately 20% of all flights in Russia are managed by controllers of the MC AATC branch.
We have developed the cutting-edge complex for automating airspace use planning and air traffic control specifically for the Moscow Regional Center. Its main advantage is a unified four-dimensional planned flight trajectory for aircraft. The complex features a conflict and potential conflict situation resolution system CORA SSA (Conflict Resolution Assistant for Safety Separation Alarm), which not only signals these conflicts but also provides the controller with recommendations for their optimal resolution," said the CEO of Azimut," Asker Saidov.
The new automated system will operate entirely on domestic equipment and software. The creation of Galaxy took four years: the work was funded, as well as acceptance and operational tests were carried out under the auspices of the State Corporation for Air Traffic Management. Another subordinate institution within Rosaviatsiya, the State Research Institute of Civil Aviation, was responsible for scientific and technical support and certification work. The transition to direct air traffic control, using the new ATM AS will take place in 2026.
"For the Moscow flight zone, the busiest one in the country, transition to Galaxy will be an important stage in air traffic control. In addition to ensuring flight safety unconditionally, a more advanced version of managing departing and arriving aircraft flows will be used, which will streamline traffic and reduce holding time," noted Deputy Head of Rosaviatsiya Andrey Potemkin.
The transition to Galaxy will continue the process of improving the air navigation system in the Central Federal District. The first revolutionary step in this direction was taken in 2017, when the domestic Sintez-AR4 ATM AS replaced the Swedish TERKAS system, which had been in operation since the 1980s. The commissioning of this automated system was carried out simultaneously with the introduction of a new airspace structure for the capital region, which allowed integrating all airports of the Moscow aviation hub into a unified system.
Main advantages of the new system:
Its number of automated working positions for controllers is 2.1 times greater;
The number of processed flight plans will increase by 1.4 times;
The number of tracked aircraft will become 4 times greater.
As explained by the developers, Galaxy has a multi-level fault-tolerant structure, while maintaining a high level of automation in air traffic control even in emergency situations. The system can be adapted to any air traffic management center, taking into account the specifics of the airspace structure and the adopted staff working technologies.