Bermuda’s plans to expand its area of air traffic control were in focus at the World Air Traffic management Congress in Madrid yesterday.

The Government announced in last November’s Throne Speech its intentions to become a certified Air Navigation Service Provider.

That would mean that air traffic controllers at LF Wade International Airport would be able to deal with more traffic, thereby taking over an area currently overseen by the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA).

Bermuda’s area of airspace would be extended from five to 40 miles out to sea and would generate extra revenue for the Island with the potential for extra jobs at the airport, airport General Manager Aaron Adderley told The Royal Gazette last November.

Yesterday, a press release released in Madrid by Boeing said engineers from Boeing Digital Aviation would be working with the Bermuda Department of Airport Operations (DAO) on a feasibility study.

The study will “seek opportunities to accelerate the already fast pace Bermuda has taken in modernising its air traffic management system by developing Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedures for arriving and departing traffic”, the statement said.

“PBN differs from traditional air navigation, whereby aircraft navigate between fixed, ground-based navigational aids or are given vectors (steered) by air traffic control. PBN uses the Global Navigation Satellite Systems to determine aircraft position very accurately, and specifies a minimum level of on-board navigational performance monitoring and alerting, thereby facilitating more precise lateral and horizontal routing and enabling aircraft to descend from altitude without intermediate level offs.

“In this way, PBN greatly reduces fuel consumption and noise emissions. All phases of flight operations stand to benefit from PBN implementation.”

The study is the first step in Bermuda’s plan to potentially develop its own Flight Information Region, which will lead to increased operational efficiencies for aeroplanes within the airspace encompassing the Island of Bermuda.”