Singapore has sent a Mobile Air Traffic Control (MATC) Tower to Banda Aceh Airport which will enhance the air traffic control capability at the airport and allow more flights carrying humanitarian supplies to enter Indonesia`s Aceh province…
Singapore has sent a Mobile Air Traffic Control (MATC) Tower to Banda Aceh Airport which will enhance the air traffic control capability at the airport and allow more flights carrying humanitarian supplies to enter Indonesia`s Aceh province. This is upon the request of the Indonesian civil aviation authorities. The Banda Aceh Airport is the main airport for airplanes carrying humanitarian supplies into Aceh.
The MATC Tower, jointly owned by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), was sent to Banda Aceh today via a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) C-130 transport aircraft. The control tower at Banda Aceh airport had sustained damages after the earthquake and tsunami on 26 Dec 04, reducing the number of aircraft the airport can handle for humanitarian relief flights. The MATC Tower will help increase the handling capacity for flights.
RSAF and CAAS personnel will work closely with the Indonesian air traffic controllers to set up the MATC system. The MATC Tower is capable of operating independently in isolated areas for extended periods of time and is equipped with the essential equipment needed to operate an aerodrome control tower. It is able to elevate the controller`s cabin up to about 5 metres from the ground and allow air traffic controllers to have good visibility of the runway and the maneouvring areas.
The MATC Tower comprises an Air Traffic Control (ATC) cabin, a hydraulic lifting system, generator and trailers. The control cabin can accommodate 6 persons and has 4 operating consoles for ATC controllers to control aircraft in the air and on the ground. It is also equipped with ground and air communication systems, meteorological sensors for winds as well as pressure and temperature readouts. It is powered by an organic generator but is also capable of being connected to main power supply.
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