Improved civil aviation communication between Piarco and Dakar

The direct satellite link is important because of the responsibilities which both agencies for managing flights across the Atlantic Ocean, the African continent, the island of Madagascar and the Indian Ocean.

In 1950, TT was assigned the responsibility for over 750 thousand square nautical miles of upper airspace, known as the Piarco Flight Information Region (Piarco FIR), which stretches halfway across the Atlantic Ocean and shares a common boundary with the Dakar FIR.

Similarly, ASE CNA (the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar) was given the responsibility to manage six FIRs in Africa and Madagascar, including the Dakar FIR, covering a total of 6.2 nautical miles of airspace in 18 countries.

On Wednesday, officials from ASE CNA, TTCAA and this country’s Transport Minister Fitzgerald Hinds, attended the formal commissioning of the Piarco node of the African and Indian Ocean Satellite Network (AFISNET) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VAST) A node is a ground relay station for satellite signals. The AFISNET is a dedicated satellite link which provides direct voice and data communication between the Piarco Area Control Centre (Piarco ACC) and the Dakar ACC for the provision of Air Traffic Services.

Chief among its uses is the ability of air traffic controllers to more efficiently co-ordinate when flights leave the Piarco Flight Information Regions (FIRs) for the Dakar FIRs and vice versa.

Speaking at the ceremony, which was held at TTCAA’s Civil Aviation Training Centre, Caroni North Bank Road, Piarco, Hinds said it was “a very historic day” for civil aviation in TT because of the commissioning the first direct satellite link between TT, and the continent of Africa and the island of Madagascar located in the Indian Ocean off the south-east coast of Africa.

“ASE CNA operates a satellite network known as the African and Indian Ocean Satellite Network (AFISNET), with links called nodes located in several African countries and in Madagascar. Today (Wednesday), TT joins this satellite network with the commissioning of another node...As such, this satellite link significantly enhances voice and data communications between the Air Traffic Controllers at the Dakar and Piarco FIRs,” Hinds noted.

Asked how much the node cost, the minister told Newsday “it was funded by ASE CNA, by persons out of the Dakar ASE CNA”.

When Hinds said he was “not in a position to say” the exact cost, Director General of ASE CNA, Amadou Ousmane Guittye, turned to reporters and said, “roughly TT $5 million.” Newsday also spoke to TTCAA Director General, Ramesh Lutchmedial, about the importance of the Piarco node.

He explained that prior to its installation, air traffic controllers at Piarco had to use either a landline or high frequency (HF) radio communication via an air link to talk to colleagues at ASE CNA.

“Sometimes there were challenges (but) now with this direct link, we’re able to press a button and the guy at the other end of the line in Dakar answers the phone and we’ll talk to him.