16 June 2022 - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Abu Dhabi Airports revealed its Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS) at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH). The system is the first and most progressive of its kind in the Middle East and the latest example of the aviation company’s drive to use the latest technology to offer its passengers enhanced safety, efficiency and sustainability to deliver a seamless travel journey.

However, this new technology is not only for the benefit of passengers. Airfield guidance and control systems are used to illuminate runways at night or in low visibility conditions, like fog, to ensure pilots can easily identify the runway, take off and touchdown areas, as well as any potential obstructions on the airfield.

The new A-SMGCS Level 4 system, designed by industry-leading airport solution provider ADB SAFEGATE, enables conflict resolution and automatic planning and guidance under all weather conditions, which also improves situational awareness for tower control employees as well as pilots.

The new system will reduce plane taxi timings as well as reduce forced diversions due to bad weather, benefiting passengers and mitigating associated cost for airlines. It further upscales the airport’s capacity whilst reducing power consumption and ensures minimal maintenance downtime. The system is equipped with ‘Follow the Greens’ technology which enables intelligent and sustainable routing and guidance by automatically illuminating only the lights needed to guide a specific aircraft to its designated gate.

“Our drive to excel and be progressive is a constant that mirrors the drive and ambition of our emirate and the aviation sector. Our goal is to ensure that all of our airports offer state-of-the art technology to power efficiency, growth and increase our contributions to the emirate’s economy,” commented H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Airports.

“Abu Dhabi International Airport is the gateway to Abu Dhabi. We take that responsibility seriously and, as a result, we deploy leading edge systems that improve operational resilience, customer convenience and drive traffic growth while limiting our impact on the environment. This system does it all and we are thrilled to launch it today with our valued partners,” added Shareef Hashim Al Hashmi, CEO, Abu Dhabi Airports.

Prior to installing the system Abu Dhabi airports worked on a five-phased project approach which included a comprehensive audit, design and upgrade of the airfield ground lighting and infrastructure, the control and monitoring system, tower systems and integration to automate ground movement.

“We are grateful to Abu Dhabi Airports for the opportunity to bring our latest technologies to this prestigious project serving the main airport for the capital of the UAE. We look forward to continuing to support Abu Dhabi Airports under our long-term maintenance contract, meeting their high standards and embracing their culture of quality, efficiency and sustainability,” said Laurent Dubois, CEO, ADB SAFEGATE.