New Zealand’s air navigation service provider Airways New Zealand has signed an agreement with the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) to provide air traffic control simulation technology for the training of air traffic controllers in Lebanon.

ICAO signed the agreement on behalf of Lebanon’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Under the agreement, Airways New Zealand will install a Total Control LCD tower simulator along with two radar/non-radar simulators at DGCA facilities in Beirut International Airport.

The Total Control technology has been developed by Airways in collaboration with New Zealand-based 3D graphics experts Animation Research.

With a user-friendly interface, Total Control includes a full 360° tower simulator, an LCD tower simulator, a desktop simulator for use in towers as well as a radar simulator.

The air traffic control simulation technology will be used by DGCA’s air traffic control trainees and instructors to control traffic in a ‘real world’ air traffic environment through fidelity 3D graphics, and simulating various weather conditions.

Besides improving the quality and speed of ATC training, the simulation technology is also said to decrease on-the-job training time.

Airways Training CEO Sharon Cooke said: “We are proud to partner with DGCA as they work to enhance their ATC training using our highly advanced simulation technology.

“We’re equally proud to have Airways technology and expertise being installed in a region where air traffic movements are growing rapidly yet there’s a critical gap for the training of air traffic controllers.”

Airways has been offering ATC training solutions to several countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, for over two decades.