The Project for the Modernization of the Air Traffic Surveillance System throughout the country, announced today by Minister Alexis Guerrera, has begun. It includes the modernization of 22 existing radars and the acquisition and incorporation of 5 new radars with state-of-the-art technology, as well as 5 antennas for difficult access areas in the foothills of the Andes. This measure seeks to optimize the air traffic control capacity and the total radar coverage of continental Argentine airspace.
On August 16, 2022, the National Minister of Transport, Alexis Guerrera, visited the city of Bariloche, where he was received by Governor Arabela Carreras, to announce the beginning of the Air Traffic Surveillance System Modernization Project throughout the country. With the purpose of incorporating technology, modernizing radars and strengthening the safety provided to all passengers during operations, an investment of US$ 44,900,000 will be made.
The project will be carried out together with the Argentine Air Navigation Company (EANA in Spanish), headed by Gabriela Logatto, with the financing of the Development Bank of Latin America (Corporación Andina de Fomento, CAF, in Spanish) and the participation of INVAP.
The details were announced in Bariloche by Minister Guerrera, who stated: “This is an important day for the Ministry. We understand that we have to continue advancing in the coverage and surveillance of the air space,” adding that “with this technology, we are improving above all the safety of the passengers.”
“We have strong challenges in terms of connectivity and different modes of transportation. In this case, I would like to highlight the joint work with the Province of Río Negro, here with INVAP, because we are articulating different actions related to transportation and logistics,” he explained.
And he added: “Having the support of CAF facilitates the way towards the modernization of transport. This is not the only credit granted to Argentina and the Ministry of Transportation; we have more strategic projects for the country financed through the Development Bank of Latin America”.
For her part, the Governor of Río Negro, Arabela Carreras, said: “It is a joy and a source of pride to see that this project is being carried out and that we are generating development in our region. We are grateful for the permanent support of the National Government and we will continue to travel together the road ahead “.
Thanks to the financing of US$ 44,900,000 and through the Transportation Modernization Plan, the National Government will acquire 3 primary radars distributed in Córdoba, Buenos Aires and Mendoza; 2 new secondary radars for Santiago del Estero and Santa Cruz; 5 ADS-B stations to be installed in Formosa, Catamarca, San Juan and Jujuy; and 2 radomes for radar protection in Ushuaia and El Calafate. In addition, 22 radars will be upgraded throughout the country.
The main objective of the project, developed by the Ministry of Transportation and the Empresa Argentina de Navegación Aérea (EANA S.E.), is to strengthen air safety for all passengers with the modernization of radars, the incorporation of state-of-the-art technology and the total radar coverage of continental Argentine airspace. At the same time, it will provide more complete and timely information for air traffic controllers and optimize air traffic control capacity.
In turn, CAF’s president, Sergio Díaz Granados, said: “Today’s visit gave us an idea for the next phase, which is to look at the entire structure that surrounds these projects, the whole ecosystem of small and medium-sized companies that surrounds them. For our part, one service we can provide is to strengthen that ecosystem to be able to continue growing in our relationship.”
EANA’s President, Gabriela Logatto, explained: “This is a historic day for EANA; it is the project with the greatest economic weight in its history, a monumental challenge that would not have been possible without all this management scaffolding. It is important to plan a modernization and enhancement of our air traffic control surveillance system. In order to boost it, this tool is essential and it is what we were looking for from the very beginning.”
Finally, the President of INVAP, Hugo Albani, remarked: “These policies are yielding results, since today Argentina is a leader in the manufacture, construction and development of research reactors. From INVAP we understand as “technological sovereignty” the creation of the capacities and know-how needed to have an Argentina that, through its technicians and professionals, is capable of deciding what we can build in the country and what we have to buy from abroad.”
The launching of the Air Traffic Surveillance System Modernization Project was also attended by: the Undersecretary of Administrative Management of the Ministry of Transportation, Julio Roca; the Mayor of Bariloche, Gustavo Gennuso; the Undersecretary of International Financial Relations for Development of the National Secretariat of Strategic Affairs, Leandro Gorgal; CAF’s Vice President, Christian Asinelli; EANA’s Vice President, Laureano Quiroga; a member of the Board of Directors of ORSNA (Organismo Regulador del Sistema Nacional de Aeropuertos), Pilar Becerra; on behalf of ARSAT, Gerónimo Ronco; on behalf of Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 (the company Argentina 2000 of airports management), Jorge Rosales; the president of ANAC (Administración Nacional de Aviación Civil), Paola Tamburelli; and members of the Air Pilots Union.
