Indra succeeded in boosting Fiji airports’ capacity to support the tourism industry

Indra succeeded in boosting Fiji airports’ capacity to support the tourism industry

July 21, 2021

Indra’s ATM team in Australia and the Fiji Airports’ engineering team have jointly succeeded to deliver a major safety upgrade to the the capital’s airport of Nausori. The installation of the new Instrument Landing System (ILS) from Indra will enable more reliable and safer operations to and from the airport, whilst also absorbing more traffic and aiding Nadi International Airport to deal with the country’s increasing popularity as a tourism destination.

The island’s challenging topography and the layout of the Nausori airport made the local air traffic service provider think that installing an ILS was technically impossible, but Indra proved its capacity to handle the most challenging environmental conditions.

Professionals from Indra in Australia worked with the client to successfully implement the new NORMARC ILS and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) for the airport’s single runway.

The solution now allows larger aircraft like the Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 to land safely, even in adverse weather conditions, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This gives the Fijian capital Suva a real boost to attract new international business and tourists. This new capability also enables Nausori airport to act as an alternative airport to the nearby Nadi International Airport

The project was delivered on time amidst ongoing COVID-19 imposed travel restrictions and local lock-downs. This is Indra’s 11th ILS/DME to be installed in the Pacific in the last 5 years, and confirms the position of the company as the leading supplier of CNS solutions to the region.

Kelepi Dainaki, Manager of Air Navigation Engineering Services, Fiji Airport said, “I would like to thank Indra for its advice and assistance for this project’s success”.

Fiji’s gateway to the world

The project contributes to the great effort that Fiji Airports is making to upgrade and expand the capacity of Nadi International Airport to attract tourists. Fiji’s air service provider is investing $3 billion to transform this airport, its gateway to the world.

85% of travelers landing in this airport are in fact tourists. The sector generates revenue of $1.7 bn a year and is responsible for over 108,000 jobs.

This is in addition to the nearly 20,000 jobs that airport operators, airport on-site enterprises (restaurants and retail), aircraft manufacturers, and air navigation service providers generate, either directly or indirectly.

This picture gives a clear idea of how important it is for a country like Fiji to have the best air navigation and air traffic management systems in place to guarantee airlines the highest standards of safety and the best service. Indra is a worldwide leader in this sector and, through its subsidiary in Australia, is assuring the best service in the Ocean Pacific region.