NO. 2124               FRIDAY     JULY 16, 1999               80 PAGES

SADIQ BAKSH, Minister of Works and Transport said, "as Trinidad builds a new airport and increases its capacity to service a greater number of flights and airlines on a daily basis, it is important that TT modernizes its technology by which a sophisticated and busy airport it driven".

     Baksh made the statement in his address at yesterday's commissioning of the Air Traffic Services Flight Plan Processing System (FPPS) at the Air Traffic Control Centre, Piarco International Airport.

     He said he is happy to see that a new Flight Plan Processing System was being commissioned.

     In essence the system represents a major advance over the way flight plan information has traditionally been handled. TT can now produce printed flight process strips, which will reduce the workload of Air Traffic Controllers. TT is also privileged to have on the project the reputable input of Aerospace Engineering and Research Associates of Maryland, USA.

     According to Baksh the Piarco Flight Information Region (FIR) and its Control Area (CTA) are situated within the middle of important North/South and Caribbean/Europe corridors.

     Piarco Area Control centre has responsibility in all Airspace above flight level 19,500. According to Baksh there are several advantages to the Introduction of the Flight Plan Processing System (FPPS).

     These include greater accuracy in time/distance calculation standardization operation in terms of strip production, while eliminating the manual production of several hundred flight process strips each day. The system is user friendly.