Dr Debora Cazzani explains why fibre optic technology is now a necessity for airport operators.
Airport operators have an opportunity to upgrade their infrastructure and secure a better long-term future for themselves while air traffic remains low.
That is according to airfield light monitoring and control firm, MC Solutions, which has seen an uptick in its fibre optic system in the wake of the pandemic.
Global air traffic is still well below 2019 levels and with flight frequencies unlikely to increase greatly before the end of the year, airports have a rare chance to rehabilitate their airfield system, said Dr Debora Cazzani, marketing and export manager of the Italian family firm.
“Right now we do not unfortunately have the issue of managing a high traffic volume. Why not take the opportunity to rehab your airfield system and save millions of dollars in consumption and maintenance operations for the next 30 years?” she said.
MC Solutions’ light monitoring and control system has been deployed in Europe but the company is now expanding into the Gulf region, where its product is also patented.
Dr Cazzani said that fibre optic technology in airfield light monitoring and control is now a necessity for airport operators, rather than a luxury.
“In order to manage high traffic volume, [fibre optics] are the only structure that can grant safety. Up to now the technologies used are obsolete both from a hardware and a software point of view.
“For your internet home connection would you prefer a 56kb/sec modem or fibre optic connection from 100Mb/sec up to 1 GIGABIT/sec upload? Just consider that when the powerline communication was first installed, smartphones were did not even exist.”
Dr Cazzani said that the technical benefits of fibre optics are speed, data size, safety, reliable communications and immunity to interferences. The system can switch the runway direction in 10 seconds, she said. And the long-term cost benefits, she said, are attractive to airports.
“The optical fibre monitoring module (MCLO) has a consumption of 20 times less than actual monitoring systems so you do not have to add or calculate for new regulators. Being free from interferences it has no maintenance cost; you can interface the existing lights and CCRs; and you benefit as well in terms of infrastructure cost – there are no additional manholes and no dedicated cable conduits.”
MC Solutions’ system is already compliant with international regulations so is ready to be rolled out to the Gulf region, Dr Cazzani said.
Of course, airports will be reluctant to take their runways offline during their recovery period. However, Dr Cazzani said the system is highly modular so that eventual disruptions can be managed.
“The last definite switch to our system takes one night of work. The viability management or software update can be done by remote 24/7.”
She added: “All airports around the world have already changed from incandescent lights to LED lights, regulators have been changed, so the last missing part to be innovated is the monitoring and control system.
“It is no more a logic of maintenance, but a safety one. It is right now, in a moment of flight decrease, that we shall take the opportunity to prepare for a better, sustainable, low consumption and efficient system. The system of the next 30 years.”
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