New innovation acceleration partnership to drive digitalization, automation and sustainability
On March 9, 2023, ADB SAFEGATE and Fraport AG announce a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) combining efforts to bring seamless integration between the tower and apron operations with industry leading digital solutions. The parties agreed to enter the strategic partnership based on a common interest to drive digitalization, automation and a positive impact on sustainability at Frankfurt Airport (FRA), Germany’s largest aviation hub.
The MoU will set up a general framework for managed services to support the high availability of the safety critical ADB SAFEGATE systems at FRA. Additionally, the partnership ensures continued collaboration on long-term product roadmap development aiming to enhance and strengthen synergies within ADB SAFEGATE’s tower and apron solutions.
“Strong partnerships and collaboration are key to achieve our digitalization and sustainability goals,” says Daniel Kösters, Senior Vice President Aviation Airside, Fraport AG. “We look forward to working with ADB SAFEGATE to bring technology for our customers and operations to the next level. One important goal is to enhance and stabilize operations especially in low visibility conditions."
ADB SAFEGATE is working closely with Fraport to deliver its OneControl solution at FRA. The highly advanced software platform will orchestrate data, resources and decisions into a single screen for one of the world’s most demanding apron and runway operational concepts. The system reduces complexity and gives the tower full control over aircraft and ground vehicle movements to optimize throughput while enhancing safety and sustainability. Following a successful simulator site acceptance test (SAT) in 2022, Fraport and ADB SAFEGATE are preparing for a go-live of the FRA OneControl solution by the end of 2023, which will mark the completion of the Apron Controller Working Position project.
“With this strategic partnership we unlock the potential of ADB SAFEGATE’s integrated portfolio and accelerate the digitalization and automation of airside operations,” said Laurent Dubois, CEO ADB SAFEGATE. “Fraport becomes a flagship for our most advanced software products by jointly steering our innovation roadmap.”
With the go-live of OneControl, ADB SAFEGATE will complete an extensive footprint at FRA which includes Safedock Advanced Visual Docking Guidance Systems (A-VDGS), as well as a Radar Extraction and Tracking System. In late 2022, ADB SAFEGATE was awarded a five-year framework agreement with Fraport that will include the delivery and installation of 65 Safedock X A-VDGS for the new Terminal 3 at FRA and the expansion of the airport’s existing SafeControl Apron Management system (now AiPRON Manager). The A-VDGS and AiPRON Manager bring automation, integration and digitalization to managing apron operations to deliver faster, safer and greener turnarounds and on-time departures.
