Airways New Zealand signs up local IT company to deliver world first in aviation traffic management

Airways New Zealand, New Zealand's air traffic control and air navigation Services provider, has contracted Christchurch IT company Alchemy to develop an online air transport capacity management tool which will deliver significant benefits for New Zealand's national aviation transport infrastructure.

The project, known as CDM-CMS, which stands for Collaborative Decision-Making Capacity Management System, is an outstanding example of the next evolution in IT known as 'netcentricity' - the combining of digital networks over the internet to provide improved customer outcomes - in this case - for New Zealand's airlines, says Airways New Zealand's Service Improvement Manager, Greg Atkins.

"As part of our future planning requirements for air traffic management in New Zealand, Airways has recognised that technology-based solutions to managing air traffic capacity will be required, particularly with regard to the busy terminal airspace around major airports, as aircraft converge to enter their landing phase of the flight."

"As a result, Airways has been working closely with its airline partners to introduce a Collaborative Decision-Making Capacity Management System into our air traffic management network. Alchemy will play a key role in turning our expectations of what such a system should deliver, into reality."

CDM-CMS is a critical time management tool which enables Airways' airline customers to jointly agree on priority flights and re-schedule services into their most cost effective configuration by matching demand to capacity, potentially saving them significant sums in operating costs, including fuel burn, and managing traveller expectations.

"This is an industry-leading development. Airways searched the world for an IT provider to develop the CDM-CMS and ended up choosing Alchemy because none provided the internet-based interactive interface for airlines and airports that we and our airlines sought. We believe this aspect has never been provided before in any of the world's air traffic control systems, and we have every confidence that Alchemy can deliver a world first for us."

The last partnership Airways had with a local (NZ) IT company, was for the Total Control air traffic control simulator developed by Animation Research Limited from Dunedin. Last month this product received three ComputerWorld Magazine Excellence in IT awards including the supreme award.

"We expect our partnership with Alchemy to produce a product of similar high standards. It's a fantastic credit to Alchemy's capability to be able to deliver such a system, and shows that the IT being undertaken in Christchurch is as good as, if not better - and definitely more innovative - than anything we could find internationally," says Mr Atkins.

ENDS

For Further Information please contact:

Corporate Communications Manager
Ph: (04) 04 471 1888
Email: insite@airways.co.nz

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