By Hayal Alemayehu

The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) launched this week a USD 8.2 million radar project which will modernize its air traffic control and surveillance services and help air operators, including the Ethiopian airlines, to cut back costs arising from non-radar air traffic control services, it was learnt.

It had been reported that airlines, during peak hours when four to five aircraft arrive at the airport simultaneously, face a delay of about 40 minutes on average to land, which will cost them roughly USD 30,000 per day.

The implementation of the radar project, which involves the procurement and installation of primary and secondary radar and automatic dependant surveillance instruments through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) purchasing section, is expected to solve the current problems related to air traffic control services and future challenges that will accrue from the continuously growing air traffic at the Bole International Airport.

The air traffic control services currently being provided by the ECAA is based on procedural techniques that do not employ radars contrary to modern air traffic surveillance and control services provided by other operators both in developing and developed countries.

The ECAA’s radar project is expected to take over nine months for implementation.

Selex Systemi Integrati S.P.A., an Italian company which won the contract for the procurement and implementation of the radar project, had this week sent its experts here, who are currently undertaking soil testing and similar activities to determine the site the radar will be erected.

The radar project involves primary and secondary radar and automatic dependant surveillance instruments.

The radar will be erected at the Bole International Airport while the automatic dependent surveillances will be installed both at the airport and Entoto as well as Arbaminch, Dire Dawa, Mekele, Gode and Gore.

The primary radar will identify any aircraft entering the country while the secondary radar will communicate with planes on which similar gadgets are installed.