NTT DATA Corporation (Head Office: Koto-Ku, Tokyo, President and Chief Executive Officer: Toshio Iwamoto, hereafter NTT DATA), in order to further expand our business overseas by improving our brand strength in the air traffic control field and expanding our product lineup, started up a new air traffic control product “airpalette^TM” on January 23, 2015.

Also, as the first stage of the airpalette brand, we will start providing airpalette eTOD (electric Terrain & Obstacle Data) Solutions (hereafter eTOD Solutions), the world’s only terrain / obstacle data provision service bringing together US company DigitalGlobe’s world-leading high resolution satellite imagery, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (hereafter JAXA) 3D terrain data covering the whole world, and NTT DATA’s 3D spatial information management technology. With this, it will be possible to simply use the world’s latest and most detailed terrain / obstacle data, and improve accuracy and efficiency of flight path obstacle verification in flight rule design operations.

Background

Currently, according to ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), air traffic volume in each region is expected to continuously increase greatly until 2025, with an anticipated average annual increase of 5.8% until 2025 in the Asia/Pacific region alone.

For this reason, ICAO has set guidelines related to air traffic management for 2025 and beyond (Global ATM Management Concept) ^*1, aiming to support the realization of safer and more efficient aviation operations. In line with this movement, long term visions based on these guidelines have been set up in Japan, the US and Europe (Japan: CARATS (Collaborative Actions for Renovation of Air Traffic Systems), US: NextGen (Next Generation), Europe: SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research)), making the development of air traffic systems to cope with a future increase in air traffic, such as the creation of next generation air traffic management systems, an international issue.

Until now, NTT DATA, through the provision of the flight rule design system “PANADES^®”^*2, along with contributing to the realization of safe and efficient aviation operations worldwide, has been involved in overseas business in the air traffic control field. At this time, in order to further promote overseas business that can deal flexibly with various forms of business such as product sales business, service provision and system integration, as well as starting up the “airpalette” brand to unify NTT DATA’s product lineup in the air traffic control field, as a first stage service, we will start the provision of eTOD Solutions.

About “airpalette”

“airpalette” is an NTT DATA brand product in the air traffic control field. A term coined by combining “Air” and “Palette” (used in painting), it possesses the following brand concepts.

With the creation of this brand, we aim to improve our recognition and expand business in overseas air traffic control systems fields.

About eTOD Solutions

The first stage of “airpalette” brand products, eTOD Solutions, is compatible with the “ICAO ANNEX” ^*3 in the air traffic control field, and provides the world’s only terrain / obstacle data provision service using the world’s highest resolution level.

NTT DATA is exclusive agent in public and private fields in Japan for US company DigitalGlobe’s satellite imagery ^*4, which boasts the world’s highest resolution (31cm - 50cm), and also, in regard to a contract to manufacture a “3D Digital World Map” ^*5 from JAXA, we have received a consent agreement to conduct worldwide sales. If these were to be regarded as input data, by NTT DATA using 3D spatial information management technology accumulated in image management operations, starting with the above “3D Digital World Map”, from JAXA and central government ministries and agencies etc., in accordance to the high resolution satellite imagery and terrain information, it will become possible to simply use the latest and detailed terrain / obstacle data the world over.

This service will be provided ^*6 on an airport basis regarding the world’s air traffic control authorities and military organizations, and will seek to improve the accuracy and efficiency of flight path obstacle verification that is indispensable to flight rule design operations in air traffic control authorities and military organizations.

eTOD terrain / obstacle data image

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About the future

In the future, NTT DATA, along with releasing eTOD Solutions in US and European markets, plans to gradually expand the lineup of airpalette brand products.

Notes