MITRE Partners with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to Support India's Aviation Growth

MCLEAN, Va., Nov. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The MITRE Corporation formalized its partnership with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) during the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) 12th Air Navigation Conference in Montreal, Nov. 19 to 30.

Since 2006, The MITRE Corporation has been working closely with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to provide solutions to meet India's significant aviation growth. That relationship was further strengthened on April 13, 2012, when MITRE and AAI signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for developing a long-term partnership in which MITRE agreed to provide technical support to AAI for establishing an in-house research and development capability to improve the aviation infrastructure and to meet air traffic management challenges in India. On November 20, 2012, leaders of the two organizations formally exchanged signed agreements.

"MITRE has been a trusted partner in the Air Traffic Management (ATM) developmental programme in India since 2006. Technology and knowledge transfer are key elements of cooperation," said V.P. Agrawal, Chairman, Airports Authority of India.

"India is the major Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) in the Asia Pacific Region;  AAI having proven its capability to lead regional implementation activities has taken a strategic move to develop a long-term partnership with MITRE for technical support in the areas of Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) and ATM system planning and implementation strategy, specialized competence-based management training, technology transfer activities and adopting industry best practices, and software development.  These efforts will help place AAI in a leading role for facilitating global harmonization and seamless ATM across the regions," said V. Somasundaram, Member (ANS), Airports Authority of India.

"During the last six years, we have successfully undertaken important aviation projects in support of AAI," said Lillian Ryals, MITRE Senior Vice President and General Manager of MITRE's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD). "This important partnership has enabled us to collaborate with AAI in addressing critical aviation issues and establishing an in-country aviation Technical Center. We look forward to continuing this vital partnership and helping AAI become the center of excellence for performance-based navigation in the region."

Gregg Leone, international director for MITRE's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development said, "As the federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), CAASD also supports other civil aviation authorities around the world, and is uniquely positioned to support AAI's vision of maximizing the safety, security, efficiency, and capacity of its growing aviation systems."

About the Airports Authority of India

India is currently the ninth largest aviation market in the world and is likely to become third largest by 2020. Airports Authority of India (AAI) has drawn out an ambitious master plan to effectively meet the challenges for creating, upgrading, maintaining, and managing aviation infrastructure more than 125 operational airports in India. Its mission is to contribute to India's economic growth and prosperity by providing state-of-the-art aviation infrastructure that meets the highest standards for safety and quality of air traffic services and airport management and ensures customer satisfaction.

AAI is responsible to provide Air Traffic Services and Search and Rescue Services over 9 million square kilometers, including 6 million square kilometers of Oceanic Airspace. AAI has made significant strides in improving CNS/ATM infrastructure in the last decade and has established ambitious targets for continued upgrades with the objective of being a world class Air Navigation Service Provider. AAI is the recipient of the prestigious Jane's ATC Award for operational efficiency in 2012.  For more information, visit www.aai.aero.

About The MITRE Corporation

The MITRE Corporation is a not-for-profit organization that provides systems engineering, research and development, and information technology support to the government. MITRE's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD) operates as a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) that has supported the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for over 50 years.  In addition to its long relationship with the FAA, MITRE provides technical expertise and support to various international civil aviation authorities, airport operators, airlines, and other aviation organizations in the areas of Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems engineering, aviation operations, airspace design and systems automation and integration. To learn more, visit www.mitre.org.

SOURCE MITRE Corporation