Cyprus to Deploy SITA's ATN/VDL-M2 Solution

Cyprus is set to become the first country in southeastern Europe to implement Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) using ATN/VDL-M2 technology, from October 2021.

The EU-mandated air traffic control (ATC) standard uses digital messages instead of voice communications for routine airspace clearances.

The Cyprus Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (CYTA) have chosen SITA's ATC Datalink Services to support the operation of CPDLC in Cyprus' airspace, which covers a land and sea surface of 175,000 km2.

Pre-COVID19, Cyprus recorded 412,000 aircraft movements per year in its airspace.

DCA's Haris Antoniades, Head of Area Control Center Nicosia, said, "SITA provides complete VHF coverage of our airspace, including the maritime area, and ensures that the air/ground data exchange meets the stringent performance requirements of modern ATC operations. The new set-up allows dynamic routing of ATC messages between Cyprus' ground control center and aircraft flying in the Cyprus airspace or its vicinity. In terms of CPDLC compliance, we are closing an important gap in European airspace.”

SITA operates 2,000 Very High Frequency (VHF) and VHF Data Link (VDL) radio stations globally, and more than 90 air navigation service providers use its global network or systems.

To cover Cyprus' airspace, SITA is adding two new VDLm2 ground stations in Larnaca and Paphos to its existing VHF stations.

SITA is also supplying the ATN (Aeronautical Telecommunication Network) ground router (based on Thales' ProATN) and connecting to its AIRCOM ATC services via the pan-European NewPENS ATC network.

Sébastien Fabre, CEO SITA for Aircraft, said, "By deploying SITA's ATN/VDL-M2 solution, the Cyprus Department of Civil Aviation is using the best option for a seamless CPDLC service – and for complying with the European Implementing Rule on Data Link Services. VHF/VDL still is, and will remain for the foreseeable future, the most suitable technology to provide high-availability, high-performance, and cost-efficient ATC data link services.”

CPDLC is a means of communication between air traffic controllers and pilots to exchange routine ATC clearance messages in digital format. Controllers can issue clearances (e.g., flight level and speed assignments), assign radio frequencies, and request information. Pilots, via their cockpit display, can respond to the messages or request information themselves.

The two-way data link system CPDLC enhances safety, as messages are unequivocal and sent only to the intended aircraft, avoiding potential voice-related misunderstandings. CPDLC reduces the volume of traditional ATC voice communications, freeing the latter one up for urgent messages, and controllers can handle more pilot requests simultaneously. According to a Eurocontrol study, the use of CPDLC can reduce controller workload by 29% and increase the airspace capacity by 11%.

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