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Air Navigation Headquarters is strongly committed to the quality of its services, and so we have directed our efforts to strengthening safety and increasing our economic efficiency. Our Services Charter recognises this commitment, identifying the services and the quality indicators relating to them.

The strategy for improvement, with the final goal of offering our customers greater efficiency, is based on developing different programmes of action in the spheres relating to the services, including:

1. AIRSPACE ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT SERVICE

This consists of structuring, planning and managing the use of airspace, including operating regulations and procedures, to ensure access to them based on the different  user requirements .

The following actions are among the most notable:

• Carrying out preliminary studies, developing different analytical tools, and the final operational checks for all the projects relating to airspace management.
• Participating in technological innovation programmes: implementation, through the EGNOS system, of PBN (Performance Based Navigation) approach procedures based on satellite technology.
• Civil/military co-ordination, as part of the FUA (Flexible Use of Airspace) project, for the joint use of airspace in order to introduce procedures for managing shared airspace in real time.
• Evolution of the radio navigational aid network (enabling aircraft to be guided) as new navigation technologies and applications are introduced, with the clear goal of improving the service and reducing possible equipment and maintenance costs.

2. CAPACITY / DEMAND MANAGEMENT SERVICE

Enables the optimisation of the relationship between the capacity of the system and the demands of air traffic, maximising the use of available capacity (maximum number of aircraft movements / operations in a control sector, flying over a given point or taking off or landing at an airport or group of airports during one hour), to ensure optimum traffic flow.

This service is performed in compliance with the objectives of maximum safety and without any significant impact on operativity, economy or the environment in normal conditions.

Air Navigation Headquarters is working on the application of a modular sectorisation which will be more easily adaptable in real time, in order to improve the fit of available capacity to traffic flow, the iTEC-FDP project, setting predefined Functional Volumes (FV) to address different situations and workloads.

3. AIR TRAFFIC SERVICE

Orders and sequences air traffic, facilitating the separation needed between aircraft and between them and any obstacle; provides consultancy and useful information for operating aircraft in flight; notifies and assists the relevant agencies in relation to aircraft needing help or rescue.

The technological development and automation of the air navigation system has led to the creation of the Automated Air Traffic Control System (Sistema Automatizado de Control de Tránsito Aéreo, or SACTA), the development of which is continuously evolving; one of the major milestones in this development was the launch of a new version in all ACCs, thus extending the functionality of the system.

4. AIR NAVIGATION INFORMATION SYSTEM (AIS)

Guarantees the process, management and user access to all relevant air traffic information, updated and checked as needed for operation.

The AIS provides the air traffic information needed for air operations to be carried out safely, regularly and efficiently. All this information is published and distributed by the central air navigation services. There are numerous projects now in progress, including:

• The Digital NOTAM project (air traffic information management).
• The evolution of the ICARO system (Integrated COM/AIS/AIP & Reporting Office Automated System), providing different services for air transport users: NOTAM, Pre-flight information bulletins, weather information and the presentation of flight plan messages.
• The extension of the functions of the INSIGNIA system (Geographic Information System for Air Navigation Information) to produce visual charts.

5. FACILITATION AND TECHNICAL SERVICES

These ensure the availability, operation and maintenance of the technical equipment and facilities of the air navigation system supporting aircraft operations.