NEC to provide air traffic control radars for Gimpo Airport in Seoul

NEC Corporation has received an order for air traffic control radars for Gimpo International Airport from South Korea's Seoul Regional Aviation Administration. The radars are to begin operation by October 2020.

Driven by its economic growth, South Korea plays an important role as an aerial transportation hub in the Asia-Pacific region, and flight numbers, passenger numbers, and cargo volumes are all on an upward trend. As a consequence, airports and routes are becoming congested, leading to growing demand for a highly reliable system that achieves safer and more efficient flights.

The air traffic control radars that NEC will provide consist of an Airport Surveillance Radar and Secondary Surveillance Radar. The Airport Surveillance Radar removes interference (clutter) caused by ground or weather factors using the latest semiconductor and signal processing technologies, making it possible to detect with high accuracy the position of an airplane in airspace.

The Secondary Surveillance Radar can obtain detailed flight information, even from congested airspace. An air traffic control radar provided by NEC is already in operation at Gimpo International Airport. The provision of these new radars enables NEC to further contribute to safer flights and improving the efficiency of air traffic control service in response to expanding aerial demand.

NEC has been providing air traffic control-related systems mainly to the Asian region, including Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Nepal, and Bangladesh, for more than 50 years. In South Korea, NEC has been providing related systems to airports since the 1990s, and received an order for an air traffic control radar for Gimhae International Airport located in Busan in 2017.

In addition, NEC globally provides solutions to improve the accuracy and speed of identification using biometrics authentication during check-in or passport control. This is in addition to airport solutions such as a thermographic camera that detects persons suspected of having a fever early, which prevents the transmission of viruses, as well as a flight information display that shows easily viewable flight information. Through these solutions, NEC contributes to improving passenger safety, service quality, and the efficiency of air traffic control services.