OpsSky Enhances Airport Safety in Low Visibility Operations and Supports CAT III Readiness

OpsSky announces the capability to support airports preparing for or operating under CAT II/III low visibility conditions (LVC). While OpsSky is not a replacement for certified surveillance infrastructure, it can play an important supporting role in improving situational awareness, operational monitoring, and safety analysis during Low Visibility Procedures (LVP).

Enhancing Situational Awareness in Low Visibility

CAT II/III operations require a high level of ground situational awareness when visibility is severely reduced. OpsSky contributes to this environment by enabling airports to track ground vehicles equipped with ADS-B or Virtual ADS-B trackers in real time.

Through integration with ADS-B–capable surveillance systems, vehicles can appear in the same operational display as aircraft, helping airport operators maintain a clearer picture of ground movements and reducing the risk of runway incursions or ground conflicts.

Supporting Compliance with Low Visibility Procedures

During LVP, airports must maintain strict control over vehicle access to maneuvering areas. OpsSky supports operational oversight by monitoring vehicle access and logging vehicle activity during low visibility operations. These records help airport operators demonstrate procedural compliance and operational discipline, which are essential elements of CAT II/III operational approval.

Strengthening Safety Monitoring and SMS

OpsSky also contributes to Safety Management System (SMS) processes by providing movement replay capabilities for incident investigation and safety reviews. This allows operators to analyze operational events and continuously improve procedures related to low visibility operations.

Providing Data for Safety Assessments

Before CAT III approval, aviation authorities typically require detailed risk assessments and safety studies. OpsSky can support these evaluations by providing:

• Historical ground movement data
• Operational hotspot analysis
• Traffic density statistics

Complementing Certified Airport Surveillance Systems

OpsSky does not replace certified surveillance systems required for CAT II/III operations such as:

• A-SMGCS
• Surface Movement Radar (SMR)
• Multilateration (MLAT)
• Stop bar systems
• Certified surveillance sensors

Instead, OpsSky acts as a complementary digital surveillance layer, enhancing monitoring of ground vehicles and supporting operational safety during low visibility conditions.

OpsSky Noise as an Additional Support Tool

In addition, OpsSky Noise can provide an extra supportive capability during low visibility conditions by detecting and recognizing approaching aircraft through acoustic monitoring. By identifying aircraft noise events even when visibility is limited, OpsSky Noise can contribute to situational awareness and operational monitoring around the airport environment.

Together, OpsSky Ground and OpsSky Noise create the OpsSky digital platform, enabling airports to improve operational awareness, safety monitoring, and data-driven decision-making.