Barco to upgrade over 500 air traffic controller working positions in France

The frame contract, worth over 7 million Euros, fits into the MAGE (Machine Graphique et Ecran) program, which involves the upgrade of the operational displays of over 500 controller working positions in the 5 Area Control Centers of France.

Barco was chosen by DSNA because of the company's excellent technical proposition and responsiveness towards DSNA's needs. Barco will provide DSNA's technical division DTI (Direction de la Technique et de L'Innovation) with a complete HMI visualisation solution. The contract includes the delivery of display servers of Barco's VISONA family, using the latest PCI Express graphics engines. The VISONA display servers will drive Barco's 30-inch main displays in combination with 17-inch auxiliary displays and Barco's 20-inch display panels. The installation will also include recording and playback software (based on the core technology of Barco's TELLAR solution), Barco's system health and monitoring software, as well as its configuration software. Next to the delivery of the operational display components, Barco will take up the responsibility for the complete program management of the MAGE project with a commitment of 7 years of full support and maintenance.

Barco has a history of providing reliable Air Traffic Management visualisation components to DSNA. In 2005, Barco delivered its advanced ISONA display stations for the future approach control rooms at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. In 2002, Barco was awarded a contract for the delivery of graphical workstations for integration in control centers all over France.

DSNA provides operational and technical services in the field of air traffic control, communications, navigation and resource supervision, plus the production and distribution of aeronautical information. In 2004, DSNA handled over 2,500,000 flights.

The frame contract for MAGE and the first orders to upgrade the Athis-Mons and Brest Area Control Centers have been awarded early January 2006. First deliveries of Barco's visualisation components to DSNA will take place in Q2 2006.