ATNS AND GRINTEK SIGN TeRNS CONTRACT
Johannesburg, Friday 1st July 2005 – ATNS, the Air Traffic and Navigation Services Company and Grintek have signed a R76m contract in support of a project that is being implemented by ATNS, called TeRNS (Terrestrial Radio Navigation Systems).
The project, which officially commenced on 1 July 2005, will run over a period of 30 months. Grintek will deliver turnkey solutions to ATNS for the installation of navigational aid facilities at 36 sites throughout South Africa. The upgrade to these facilities is essential as the current navigation infrastructure is outdated and can no longer be maintained. The implementation of the new equipment will ensure that ATNS continues to provide the current levels of service and the safety standards required for an efficient navigation system and a safe airspace.
The signing of this contract signifies another milestone in the relationship between ATNS and Grintek. The implementation of the TeRNS project will improve the service that ATNS provides to the Aviation community by ensuring a reliable and consistent navigation infrastructure throughout South Africa. The Remote Control and Monitoring System that will be implemented will allow the ATNS technical team to effectively monitor and maintain the nationwide navigational aid system, thus ensuring the availability of the system.
The project furthermore creates the opportunity to improve the skills and capacity levels within ATNS through training and active participation during the installation of the latest technologies around the country.
The training equipment for the Aviation Training Academy (ATA) – ATNS’s high-tech training institution - and the Computer Based Training system will improve ATNS’s ability to provide widely recognized, in-depth training and thus create the opportunity for skills development within ATNS as well as for other states in the SADC region operating similar equipment.
The TeRNS project is an exciting project that will challenge both ATNS and Grintek in terms of the implementation schedule, quality of work, management skills, co-ordination and co-operation to complete the project within the allocated time and budget.