Elizabeth Leigh
Exelis has been contracted to deploy its airfield monitoring and surveillance suite at the Los Angeles International Airport as part of a LAX initiative to improve safety and efficiency at the facility.
The package will include the McLean, Virginia-based company’s Vehicle Movement Area Transponder, Symphony MobileVue and NextVue platforms, Exelis said Monday.
VMAT provides operations, firefighting, maintenance and aircraft rescue vehicles with trackers using unique call signs, while Symphony is a mobile app that can track the movement of ground crew and aircraft both in the terminal area and airport surface.
The NextVue air traffic manager provides flight visualization capabilities.
Using the products will allow “both air traffic controllers and ground vehicle operators on the airfield… [to] see a real-time depiction of their vehicle location in relation to aircraft and other vehicles operating around and on the LAX surface,†said Ted Carniol, general manager of commercial aviation solutions at Exelis.
Airport officials consider LAX as the fifth busiest worldwide, which they said could present management challenges especially during emergencies and other disruptions.
“LAX requires a system that can enhance airfield safety, collaboration and management of irregular operations, especially during upcoming runway construction projects,†said Jeff Mort, airfield manager for LAX Airport Operations.
