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Software fix tested for HK$1.56 billion Hong Kong International Airport air traffic management system after recent malfunction
Solution follows glitch last month in which radar screens did not show full data for three flights, but at least one lawmaker wants system scrapped
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Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is testing a software fix for its HK$1.56 billion (US$198.8 million) air traffic management system after it malfunctioned last month and resulted in controllers not having full information on three flights in the city’s airspace for six minutes.
In a statement on Wednesday evening, the Civil Aviation Department said it expected next month to implement the solution, developed by the system’s US manufacturer, Raytheon, after completing tests and other safety assessments.
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On August 13, from 4.20pm to 4.26pm, a glitch in the Raytheon Auto Trac III system meant radar screens did not show full information for three flights, except for their flight position, altitude information and secondary surveillance radar code – the identification code assigned to planes.
Air traffic controllers handle on average 2,000 flight movements in Hong Kong airspace daily. The new system is capable of handling up to 8,000 a day, as traffic is expected to increase with the airport’s third runway due to be completed in 2024.
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