EANA trials first CAT III AWOS at Córdoba Airport

EANA has put its first Cat III AWOS (Automatic Weather Observing System) in pre-operational mode at Córdoba International Airport, Córdoba, Central Argentina. The new system, which will undergo operational testing for a month, required single investment of around 598,000 euros and is part of an overall package intended to upgrade the airport, Argentina’s main inland hub, for Cat IIIA approaches.

Once a new, Cat III ILS and a new approach lighting system (ALS) are installed toward the end of 2019 and in the first quarter of 2020, respectively, Córdoba will boast the same operational level as Ezeiza, Buenos Aires’ international airport and the busiest gateway to the country. In Santa Fe province, west of Córdoba, Rosario airport will follow suit to provide additional hub and alternate capacity for a growing number of international connections.

During a presentation held at Córdoba airport on Friday, EANA CEO Gabriel Giannotti said the new AWOS was the first of 31 such systems included in a €14.8-million contract EANA signed with Finland’s Vaisala. The contract signing ceremony took place exactly six months ago. «Safety and service quality are strategic aspects of our work,» Giannotti remarked.

Similarly, NM10 (Netowork Manager 10) servers were put into pre-operational mode at Ezeiza. Those servers will provide operational control over data fed by the 31 AWOS which EANA will be installing over more than a year. Next in line will be the new AWOS for San Fernando, a busy general & executive aviation airport situated north of Buenos Aires City.

San Fernando will be followed by similar installations country wide: Catamarca, Comodoro Rivadavia, Corrientes, El Calafate, Bahía Blanca, Esquel, Formosa, Jujuy, La Rioja, Mendoza, Neuquén, Paraná, Posadas, Puerto Iguazú, RÍo Gallegos, RÍo Grande, Rosario, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, San Martín de Los Andes, San Rafael, Santa Rosa, Santiago Del Estero, Termas de RÍo Hondo, Trelew, Tucumán, Ushuaia and Viedma.