Software for Airport Planning, Design and Operations

Simtra AeroTech AB, developers of software solutions for aviation and transportation planners, designers, engineers and architects, is pleased to announce the first major update to the recently released sixth generation of their flagship product line, PathPlanner.

The release, 6.02, sees several new program features such as the option to import Gate session templates from PathPlanner A5 as well as a new, more intuitive hierarchical property handling system and other general improvements and bug fixes. As is standard with this type of release, new items have also been added to the object library.

The latest version also incorporates the ability to operate PathPlanner using either software-based protection or hardware locks (USB dongles), a new level of flexibility that is especially relevant for those companies using cloud-based servers. "The combination of these two techniques marks a first for Simtra. Other products in our portfolio have used software-based locking for quite some time whilst PathPlanner 6's predecessor PathPlanner A5 operated with USB dongles" explains Ben van Leest, Managing Director at Simtra. "We have noticed that there is a high level of demand for both systems, so we have elected to go down this path in order to offer the most flexible solution possible to our clients" van Leest continues.

Over and above these updates, the single largest update in PathPlanner 6.02 can be found behind the scenes, with the introduction of Simtra License Server v2. For users, the introduction of the second generation of Simtra's license serve means the ability to "borrow" a PathPlanner license from the network server. This allows the license to run even when the computer is disconnected from the network, useful when visiting clients or travelling away from the office. Network administrators will also encounter a new web-based interface with detailed license statuses and usage logs, a system will be rolled out for all Simtra products in due course to provide a common platform for administering all Simtra products. 

For more information on the new PathPlanner generation, visit www.simtra.com.

About PathPlanner

After its initial development in 1994 together with the Swedish Civil Aviation Authority, Airbus selected PathPlanner in the late 1990's to prepare for the introduction of the A380 at major international airports. Having proven its value ever since, PathPlanner is now in use at the vast majority of the world’s largest airports, aviation consultancy firms and Passenger Boarding Bridge manufacturers. It is used by airport design and operations professionals to plan and design aprons, taxiways and runways.  

About Simtra

Founded in 1989, Simtra was originally involved in the navigation of mobile robots. The company branched out in 1994 and merged the results of the robotics research with airport know-how provided by the Swedish Civil Aviation Authority. This resulted in the software application PathPlanner; an airside planning, design and operations tool that could be used directly in the CAD environment.

In recent years other software products have been added to Simtra’s portfolio and today the company is recognized as a leading supplier of software solutions and services for planners, designers, engineers and architects in both the aviation and transportation industries.