There are plans in place to radically chance the way the airspace is managed in Scotland. The Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) is creating a new Combined Surveillance Centre which will be the central hub for its air traffic management project. This project is the largest of its kind within UK air traffic control and Copperchase are proud to be part of it.

The project will change the way air traffic services are provided at seven HIAL airports by running activities in a centralised tower and surveillance centre and modernising the way airspace is managed.

To enable this to happen, several of the airports in Scotland need to undergo extensive upgrades to their equipment to enable them to interface into the new centralised Combined Surveillance Centre. This is where Copperchase have been playing a major role.

Copperchase have installed its state-of-the-art Voice Command and Control System VCCS in airports at Inverness, Dundee, Kirkwall and Sumburgh. This will enable them to seamlessly connect to the Combined Surveillance Centre when it come online.

Another important airfield system controlled by the Air Traffic Controllers is of course the airfield ground lighting. Copperchase installed its Aeronautical Ground Lighting Control & Monitoring System in several airports including Stornaway, Prestwick and Islay. The AGL / CMS has state of the art touch-screen and Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) packages which were programmed to the individual needs of each airfield. If the airports expand and changes need to be made, the PLC allows for increased numbers of Input/Outputs to be added quickly and easily.