Meric Döner, General Manager Turkey, Safegate Group: “With perfect design and operation you can handle 60 movements per runway. Most airports today manage around 40 movements. We can help them to close that gap at a fraction of the cost compared to the investment in new infrastructure.”
With passenger numbers expected to rise significantly in the coming years, maximising airport capacity is vital. The Safegate Group offers a unique solution, focused on increasing throughput using existing infrastructure without the need for development. Meric Döner, General Manager Turkey, Safegate Group, spoke to Samantha Jenkins.
The Safegate vision is clear – to provide a solution for airports that allows them to increase throughput and maximise capacity, without the need for additional infrastructure. “This is made possible by letting all parts of the airport work together as one unit,” stated Meric Döner, General Manager Turkey. “That way the airport is able to unlock its full potential, increase the throughput, and as a result get more, and safer, aircraft movements. This brings significant savings and earning potential from improved safety, increased efficiency and capacity, and reduced fuel consumption, as well as fewer emissions and a cleaner environment.”
Safegate’s objective is to provide the airport industry with efficient solutions for more and safer aircraft movements. Among its recent developments is an airport in the Middle East, due to be announced in the near future. Safegate will help the airport to be completely weather independent, and increase capacity by five times under LVP (Low Visibility Procedure) conditions.
Airport traffic is expected to grow at significant rates over the next 15 years, and managing the full capacity of airports is vital. At this year’s ACI Airport Exchange, Safegate plans to show airports how they can reach full potential. “With perfect design and operation you can handle 60 movements per runway,” explained Döner. “Most airports today manage around 40 movements. We can certainly help them to close that gap at a fraction of the cost compared to the investment in new infrastructure. Stand-alone systems have operational limitations, but a high level of integration between systems allows the maximum benefits in efficiency and safety in the daily operation.”
At the heart of this, Döner said, is the need for a changed mindset. The idea is that airports can do more with what they have – reducing costs, and maximising environmental freedom – using an integrated solution. Air traffic controllers, for example, can use Safegate’s integrated solutions and world class CONOPS in the tower to get information about the fastest route from touchdown to gate. They get full status awareness of equipment, full control over aircraft and vehicle positions, and fewer planes waiting either at the gate, in holding positions, queuing for take-off, or circling in the air for landing.
The Safegate vision is to provide a solution for airports that allows them to increase throughput and maximise capacity, without the need for additional infrastructure.
Safegate also provides expertise in airport lighting solutions on the airfield, combined with the knowledge to solve runway incursion, limited throughput, and maintenance challenges. “80% of airport accidents occur at the apron and gate area. Having a tool guiding an aircraft actively to its correct position, such as providing the pilot with instinctive signals using our 3D A-VDGS (Advanced Visual Docking Guidance System), prevents these accidents,” Döner added.
One notable reference is Hobart International Airport, which was the first to install an LED approach lighting system as part of its major runway and taxiway resurfacing project. “The challenge for Hobart International Airport was to find an efficient and cost-saving solution that would serve the airport’s needs well into the future. Safegate Group demonstrated the significant financial and environmental benefits of a low power airfield lighting system utilising the latest intelligent LED light technologies,” Döner described.
Looking ahead, the focus will be on the ‘Follow the Greens’, the SESAR European Airports Consortium’s (SEAC) concept to speed up the taxing procedure of aircraft to and from the runway system. Safegate recognises this concept, which centres on doing more with less, without investing in infrastructure. “Different trials have proven that fuel consumptions can be reduced by as much as 40% and turnaround times can be shortened by as much as five minutes. We really look forward to helping these airports to turn their plans into reality,” Döner concluded.
