ADB SAFEGATE equips Hamburg Airport to manage the apron area smoothly and safely

Company’s integrated controller working position to support Follow the Greens operations at Germany’s oldest airport 

Hamburg Airport is Germany’s fifth largest airport and is served by over 60 airlines. The airport operator, Flughafen Hamburg GmbH, is renovating Apron 1, an area of 330,000 square meters with an investment of €120 million. The airport will introduce Europe’s first-ever Follow the Greens operations where individually controlled green lights guide the pilots safely towards the runway or parking positions. OneControl, the integrated controller working position from ADB SAFEGATE will help the airport achieve this. The solution introduces new user interface concepts by combining functions that traditionally reside in separate systems into a single screen application. Additionally, the system is capable of controlling the lighting infrastructure of the advanced Follow the Greens concept to enable smoother, safer and more efficient operations.

“The renovation of the 40-year-old tarmac area into a smooth and silent surface is an investment into the future,” said Johannes Scharnberg, Hamburg Airport, Director Aviation. “New technology concepts not only help us prepare for rising traffic volumes and future-proof the airport, but also provide more sustainable infrastructure. By collaborating with ADB SAFEGATE, we will realize benefits of Follow the Greens and an integrated solution for apron control that can improve both safety and efficiency.”

ADB SAFEGATE will install OneControl in Hamburg Airport’s Apron Control unit. The solution incorporates important Air Traffic Control systems into one consistent and user-friendly interface. It combines multiple functions, starting with surveillance and airport safety support as well as routing and guidance service, adding workflow support, displaying meteorological data and and allowing AGL monitoring and control. Showing this information on a single screen eliminates the need to keep track of multiple screens, thus reducing apron controller workload and lowering the risk of incursions and safety incidents.

By integrating traditional ATC systems into a single solution, ADB SAFEGATE can provide additional functionality and safety features which would not be possible if systems are separated. For example, combining surveillance systems with routing and guidance via Follow the Greens makes it possible to track the aircraft or vehicle movements and detect route deviations early on to alert controllers before accidents occur. The solution is also a vital data generator for the Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) platform and helps to increase predictability and efficiency.

“Our partnership with Hamburg Airport began in 2016, introducing Safedock, our Advanced Visual Docking Guidance System (A-VDGS), and SafeControl Apron Management (SAM). The integrated controller working position now adds apron control solutions to our portfolio offer in Hamburg. The upcoming terminal extension as well as the refurbishment of the apron surface will lead to a changing environment, hence support for apron controllers is needed,” said Christian Onselaere, CEO, ADB SAFEGATE. “With OneControl, Hamburg Airport is ready for future traffic growth. The project will run in several phases, supporting the airport in its development plans and facilitating a smooth transition in the individual refurbishment steps.”

About Hamburg Airport

Hamburg Airport is the largest international airport in northern Germany, and the fifth largest in Germany overall. The airport serves more than 17.6 million passengers each year. Passengers can choose from a route network spanning the globe. More than 60 airlines fly to around 130 domestic and international destinations. Approximately 1.000 destinations worldwide can be reached with only one connecting flight. Almost 250 businesses based at the airport employ approximately 15,000 staff (incl. almost 2,000 directly employed by the airport). The partially privatized airport is owned by the Free & Hanseatic City of Hamburg, with a 51 percent holding, and AviAlliance GmbH with a 49 percent stake. There are around 40 shops at Hamburg Airport, open seven days a week, offering a wide variety of services and retail product ranges. The restaurants, snack bars and cafés located here benefit from the unique airport atmosphere. The S1 S-Bahn (metro rail network) line operates between Hamburg’s central Hauptbahnhof station and the airport terminal, with a journey time of just 25 minutes.

For more information about Hamburg Airport, please visit www.hamburg-airport.de.