French air traffic centres start rolling out 4D en route navigation system

French air traffic control centres have started introducing a new-generation air navigation system developed by Thales. Reims area centre, the first deployment site, inaugurated its system – known as 4-Flight – on 8 December, following implementation in mid-June. A second pilot centre, Marseilles, formally implemented 4-Flight on 6 December. French air navigation service DSNA will expand the programme to the three other en route centres – Paris, Brest and Bordeaux – by 2025. Thales says the full roll-out will mean air traffic controllers will operate with a single system across French upper airspace, a region of some 1 million km². The company says the system is intended to “ensure a smoother flow of flights”. It is centred on an advanced flight-data processing system, branded Coflight, which provides controllers with accurate forecasts of four-dimensional flight trajectories. This enables them to optimise routes and increase flight efficiency, with the benefit of reduced fuel-burn, shorter flight duration, and lower emissions. The system is interoperable with equipment controlling neighbouring airspace, and is connected to 10 other air navigation service providers. Thales says 4-Flight is co-funded by the European Union under the Single European Sky modernisation initiative. DNSA and Thales inaugurated 4-Flight at Reims during an event attended by French transport minister Clement Beaune. <br/>