Aena installs driving simulators for the aircraft manoeuvring area in 13 airports

The first driving simulator has been recently installed in the Alicante-Elche Airport and the rest will be progressively installed in 12 more airports within the Aena network between 2021 and 2022.

This innovative project undertaken with LANDER includes the faithful and detailed reproduction of the infrastructure and operational set-up of each airport, thus faithfully recreating the driving experience.

The main users of this training tool will be the professionals who carry out a large part of their work in the airport, such as Manoeuvring Area Technicians and Coordinators or Marshallers, and the Airport fire brigade staff. In addition, the simulator will also be used to train people who must hold the Airside Driving Permit (ADP) and its version that extends to the manoeuvring area (ADP M.A), which requires further skills, including communication with the control tower.

According to the managers of the operations department at Aena, the incorporation of simulators was a necessary step to continue improving the safety and quality of training in its airports. The difficulty of training in the area without affecting airport activity, the need to standardise training, or the possibility of recreating situations of risk that are very hard to replicate in reality, are some of the main reasons why they decided to make this investment.

The simulator includes a series of training exercises to work on orientation or communication, among other aspects; more specific knowledge such as guiding aircraft, how to proceed in difficult weather or runway inspections. In addition, a series of skill assessment tests have also been designed. The simulator has an automatic driving error detection system and is capable of generating reports that are fully adapted to Aena's needs, according to the configured regulations and parameters.

At LANDER we are very satisfied with the result achieved by this first phase of the project, which is a result of the close collaboration with Aena. The knowledge acquired throughout these months, of both airport operations and the client's needs, will undoubtedly help us to continue along this path for the rest of the airports. 

After the installation and commissioning of this first simulator, the next airports to receive their simulator will be: Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Málaga, Madrid Barajas, Bilbao, Barcelona El Prat, Gran Canaria, Tenerife Sur, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Seville.

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