Company opens development airport traffic management software
The Swiss company Skysoft has started development of Albatross, a set of open source applications for air traffic controllers. The project's website was unveiled on 16 March.
The software will be published under a GNU Public Licence. The company has not yet decided which version of the GPL will be used.
The Swiss specialist in air traffic management technology in June will unveil its first open source application, to visualise radar data. This application is based on the company's existing proprietary software. It will run on GNU/Linux based computers, said Claude Levacher, responsible for marketing at Skysoft.
In a white paper on the Albatross website, the company explains that it is believes making its software available open source will drive innovation in the air traffic management market and will help lower costs for air traffic operators.
Air traffic management software is currently a niche market, the company explains. Because of the high cost of software development, companies delivering such applications focus on the bigger air traffic operators. "This leaves smaller operation such as regional and small airports in need of air traffic management applications."
Making its solutions available as open source should help remedy this situation. The company expects it will also speed up standardisation of the technology and make vendors agree on computing routines and protocols (APIs). The company also hopes it will increase the use of open standards. "Open Source is the best guarantee that if open standards or regulations exist, they will be used and applied."
Germany's air traffic control, the Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS), welcomed the move to open source in a statement published by Skysoft. Ralf Heidger, head of a software development unit at DFS, said the company would support development of Albatross. "We recognise the high value of open source and the key rol it can play in our industry." The German privatised air space management company already uses open source software in its operation.
According to Skysoft's statement, Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, is currently assessing the benefits that the open source model can bring to air traffic management.
More information:
Document Actions
