Eerste Helicopter Veiligheidsdag op 10 september

De afdeling Helicopters & Aero-acoustiek en het Veiligheidsinstitituut ATSI van het NLR organiseren op vrijdag 10 september 2010 de eerste Helicopter Veiligheidsdag.

Voor deze dag zijn een aantal sprekers uitgenodigd. Marieke van Hijum (Safety Analyst bij het European Aviation Safety Agency, EASA) zal de Europese bijdrage aan het International Helicopter Safety Team initiatief toelichten. Tevens zal zij een aantal ongevalscenario’s beschrijven, stil staan bij de suggesties voor verbeteringen en aangeven welke activiteiten op dit moment in EHEST worden ondernomen. Daarnaast zullen Patrick Bosman (Aviation Advisor bij Shell Aircraft International) en Daan Remie (Flight Operations Manager bij ANWB Medical Air Assistance) spreken over helikopter veiligheid in hun specifieke operationele gebied.

PhD on compositional modelling of dynamic operations

On June 11th, 2010, Mariken Everdij of the NLR Air Transport Safety Institute successfully defended her PhD thesis for the University of Twente, The Netherlands. The graduation committee consisted of two supervisors, from the University of Twente and from the Embedded Systems Institute in Eindhoven, as well as seven leading experts in Stochastic Systems and Petri nets from the National Aerospace Laboratory NLR and from the Universities of Twente, Gent, Eindhoven and Groningen.

“Study of SESAR implied safety validation needs” receives Best Paper Award

At the 4th International Conference on Research in Air Transportation (ICRAT 2010), NLR-ATSI scientist Jelmer Scholte received the Best Paper Award in the "Safety and Security" track for the paper "Study of SESAR implied safety validation needs ".

NLR-ATSI animates RNLAF F-16 Solo Display

NLR-ATSI has made animations of the aerobatic manoeuvres that the F-16 Demo Team of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) performs during airshows. The animations are based on flight data recorded during the display performed by Capt. Ralph “Sheik” Aarts at the 2009 ‘Luchtmachtdagen’ at Volkel Airbase and have been visualized using Microsoft Flight Simulator X. The animations can be viewed on the website of the demo team. The website contains animated movies for each of the ten manoeuvres performed during a ‘high show’.

Can we predict safety culture?

During the 9th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multi Agent Systems (AAMAS 2010) Alexei Sharpanskykh (VU University Amsterdam) and Sybert Stroeve (NLR Air Transport Safety Institute) received the 'Best Industry Track Paper Award' for their paper 'Can we predict safety culture?'

Volcanic ash is potential threat to air traffic safety

Ash clouds may affect aircraft engines and systems even at great distances from the volcano. Ash clouds due to volcanic eruptions on Iceland are causing considerable delay at European airports. Large parts of the airspace across North-western Europe have been closed and more will be closed this evening. In this fact-file, the NLR Air Transport Safety Institute provides background information about volcanic ash clouds and the safety of air traffic.

Blikseminslag genoemd als oorzaak ongeval Ethiopian Airlines

Een Boeing 737-800 van Ethiopian Airlines is in de nacht van zondag op maandag 25 januari, kort na de start vanaf de luchthaven van Beiroet, in zwaar weer neergestort in de Middellandse Zee. Er wordt gesuggereerd dat het vliegtuig door bliksem getroffen zou zijn.

Vulkanische as vormt potentiële bedreiging voor vliegverkeer

Aswolken kunnen tot grote afstanden invloed hebben op boordsystemen en motoren. De wolken met vulkanische as, afkomstig van de IJslandse vulkaan die woensdag 14 april uitbarstte, zorgen voor hinder op de Europese luchthavens. In dit bericht geeft ATSI, het veiligheidsinstituut van het NLR (Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium) achtergrondinformatie over vulkaanuitbarstingen en de veiligheid van het vliegverkeer.

New Methodology for Operational Risk Assessment for Aviation Organisations

Three years ago a working group with representatives from all sectors of the aviation industry was formed to develop a new Methodology for Operational Risk Assessment for Aviation Organisations. From its start NLR-ATSI took part in this initiative.

Come on, SESAR, Release control

Bart Klein Obbink, Scenior Scientist at NLR-ATSI, wrote an article for Aerlines Magazine on the opportunities of Sesar's trajectory management for autonomous flight, which can be found here.

Vogels betrokken bij uitvallen vliegtuigmotor Boeing 737

Lightning strike reportedly downed Ethiopian Airlines jet

An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-800 crashed shortly after taking off from Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport. The plane took off during a severe thunderstorm and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea in the early hours of Monday morning, January 25. It has been suggested that the plane was struck by lightning.

2009 a good year for aviation safety

In 2009, a total of 719 people worldwide lost their lives in accidents involving aircraft, which is a slightly lower number than the annual average of 830 deaths, according to preliminary figures compiled by the NLR-Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI).

NLR-ATSI Newsletter 03: Barrier on the strip a sound idea?

The NLR Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI) has published its third newsletter.

Turkish airlines accident again an undershoot

Today, a Turkish Airlines Boeing 737 landed short of runway 18R of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. The cause of the accident is yet unknown. It is clear however, that this is a so-called undershoot accident, according to NLR-Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI).

ATSI's second newsletter has been published

ATSI's second newsletter has been published.

Vogels mogelijk oorzaak waterlanding US Airways Flight 1549

In de afgelopen 10 jaar zijn er acht ongevallen gemeld waarin een noodlanding werd gemaakt op water. Dat blijkt uit cijfers van de Air Safety Database van het Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI). Op donderdag 15 januari 2009 heeft een Airbus A320 van US Airways na de start een noodlanding gemaakt in het water van de Hudson River, New York. Alle inzittenden hebben het ongeval overleefd. Vlucht 1549 was net opgestegen van LaGuardia Airport, New York met als bestemming Charlotte Airport toen beide motoren uitvielen. De A320 met registratie N106US is 10 jaar oud, heeft meer dan 24.000 vlieguren gemaakt en is uitgerust met CFM56 motoren.

2008 redelijk veilig jaar voor de luchtvaart

In 2008 zijn er 504 mensen omgekomen bij vliegtuigongevallen. Dat is minder dan het jaarlijks gemiddelde dat op 830 doden ligt. Dit blijkt uit de voorlopige cijfers van het NLR-Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI).

NLR-ATSI organises workshop on risk assessment methods

07 March 2008

On March 4-5, 2008 a workshop on risk assessment methods was organised by NLR Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI) in cooperation with AIRBUS. This workshop was attended by flight safety specialists from a number aircraft operators ranging from low cost carriers, business jet operators as well as large airlines. During the workshop several methods for risk classification and assessment were reviewed and tested. The workshop gave valuable results into new ideas and methods for day to day risk assessments conducted within an aircraft operator.

First NLR-ATSI newsletter

19 February 2008

The NLR Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI) has published its first newsletter. The newsletter will appear twice per year and will contain relevant information on safety in air transport and the NLR Air Transport Safety Institute.

If you did not receive the newsletter, but you would like to, please subscribe on our website. If you have received the newsletter

NLR-ATSI officially launched by prof. mr. van Vollenhoven

31 October 2007

NLR officially opened the NLR Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI) on October 31, 2007. This institute conducts research to improve the safety and efficiency of air transport. The institute was officially opened by Prof. Pieter van Vollenhoven. In his opening speech, Prof. van Vollenhoven stressed the importance of independent expertise in improving safety, and the importance of a clear distribution of responsibilities between government and industry. He went on to add that a great deal of progress could still be made in this area.

From left to right: mr. Kraaijeveld, prof. van Vollenhoven, mr. Abbink and mr. Piers.

Safety issues are becoming increasingly complex and demanding the attention of experts from multiple disciplines. The new institute clusterd NLR’s existing expertise and experience in the field of air safety, bringing together specialists from various fields, including aircraft operations, human factors, aviation technology, air traffic management, legislation, and incident investigation.

NLR-ATSI advises on issues such as safety management, ascertaining how safety policy is embedded in an organization, whether all procedures are properly aligned, and whether "catch-nets" are in place.
The institute conducts accident investigations in the Netherlands and abroad, and has access to large databases containing information on accidents and incidents.
In addition, NLR-ATSI conducts safety assessments of proposed changes in aviation systems. For instance, when air traffic control duties are to be reshuffled or landing procedures are to be altered.

With its workforce of 30 experts, NLR-ATSI is the largest safety institute of its kind in Europe. The institute's international client base includes airports, air traffic control bodies, airlines, authorities, and regulatory and supervisory bodies, including Eurocontrol and the European Union.

Panel discussion
To mark the opening of NLR-ATSI, a panel discussion was held between representatives from the aviation sector, government and political parties, under the banner "Safety for Growth - Inner Drive or Outside Pressure?"

The aim was to consider whether new safety solutions could facilitate, rather than restrict, further growth. The discussion offered insight into areas in which government, industry and research institutes could engage in strategic cooperation in the coming years. The participants concluded, among other things, that to achieve the required progressive improvement of safety, the parties would have to work on "softer" factors such safety management and safety culture, but that this would be insufficient. Technological and operational innovations, such as taxi displays (a kind of road navigation system for commercial airliners), were also vital for the further improvement of safety.

NLR-ATSI hosts SAM Task Force

06 June 2007

From 22 to 24 May 2007, NLR-ATSI hosted the SAM Task Force, under the inspiring lead of Patrick Mana of Eurocontrol. Over 25 users of SAM attended these sessions, including representatives of about 15 European ANSPs.

Main issue on the agenda of this May 2007 meeting was the review and further development of the definition of a 'change' in air transport operations. The relevance of this definition is to obtain insight whether and to which extent safety assessment activities are needed for a given event or modification in the air traffic operations.

The SAM Task Force is a podium for users of Eurocontrol EATMP's Safety Assessment Methodology (SAM) for Air Navigation Systems. It is dedicated to the exchange of experiences between users of SAM, and to the further development of SAM. By contributing to the SAM Task Force, NLR-ATSI aims to continue making its knowledge and experience available to a broad European public. This is done both via attending to the SAM Task Force meetings, and via contribution to new SAM material. The objective behind this is to improve the quality of safety assessment activities all over Europe.

NLR-ATSI computes Civil Aviation Statistics for Dutch CAA

11 April 2007

The NLR-Air Transport Safety Institute supports the Dutch CAA (IVW) in the publication of their brochure on the Civil Aviation Safety Data as they have also done in the previous versions. The lastest published version concerns safety data from 1991 to 2005.

The data show a decrease in fatal accidents in commercial air transport. Aviation safety is an international issue. Safety is the highest in Western Europe, North America and Australia. Most fatal accidents occur during the landing or take-off. The human factor plays an important role in many accidents, sometimes as a primary factor and sometimes as a secondary one. Compared to 1980, the number of comercial flights has nearly doubles. Between 2001 and 2003 there was a temporary decrease in the number of flights due to a reduction in the economic growth the terrorist atacks of September 11th, 2001. Due to the low number of accidents and incidents in the Netherlands in combination with the number of flights, it is not possible to derive a statistical reliable accident ratio.

Links

• News item (in Dutch) at the website of the Dutch CAA (IVW).
• Civil Aviation Safety Data 1991-2005 brochure.

Member of Parliament (D66) visits ATSI

Sophie in 't Veld MEP (D66, Netherlands) visits the NLR Air Transport Safety Institute Member of Parliament (D66) visits ATSI. On 23 March Sophie in 't Veld MEP (D66, Netherlands) and the ALDE group spokesperson on airline passenger data visited the NLR Air Transport Division and the Air Transport Safety Institute (ATSI). She met with the head of the Air Transport division and the Director of the Safety Institute Michel Piers and visited various research facilities of NLR.

As member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice & Home Affairs, mrs in 't Veld has asked the European Commission to clarify the purpose and intention of ongoing research into use of intelligent cameras and microphones on board airplanes. Such matters are investigated in the research programme (SAFEE) part financed by the 6th RTD Framework Programme and involving industrial and technical institutes across Europe.

ATSI plays a leading role in that programme, where 31 countries are involved in investigating ways to strengthen surveillance of potential terrorist attacks on board aircraft. The visit to NLR and the Institute was at our invitation, with the purpose ofs explaining the work of ATSI and the Air Transport division and to exchange views on how to deal with personal data and civil liberties in security research.

Flight Safety Foundation visits ATSI 

13 March 2007

On 12 March 2007 Bill Voss - President and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation (image left), Bob Vandell - Executive Vice-President of the Flight Safety Foundation, and Earl Weener - Fellow of the Foundation visited the Air Transport Safety Institute (ATSI) and NLR in Amsterdam. They met with Prof. Fred Abbink, General Director of NLR and Michel Piers, Director of ATSI. The purpose of the meeting was to allow the new President of FSF to get a first hand overview of the activities of ATSI and NLR and to explore possibilities to further strengthen the cooperation between FSF and ATSI.

The ties between FSF and ATSI are old and strong. ATSI has been a corporate member of FSF for several decades and ATSI is an active participant in the various bodies and activities of the foundation. ATSI is a regular contributor to the safety seminars of the foundation and ATSI research findings are regularly presented on FSF publications. The ties between FSF and ATSI are important because both organisation have global interests in the improvement of airsafety, and ATSI provides important contributions to the international safety initiatives lead and facilitated by FSF. Several new areas of work were identified in which the Foundation and the Air Transport Safety Institute will make an effort to align their strategies and activities to achieve global progress.

Flight Safety Foundation website

Insight into factors related to aircraft weight and balance safety occurrences.

A study by NLR-Air Transport Safety Institute into accidents and incidents related to weight and balance indicates that the risk with cargo flights is 8.5 times higher than with passenger flights.

The study shows that there are various factors involved in weight and balance accidents and incidents such as errors in the load sheet, shifting of cargo, incorrect loading etc. Typically root causes to weight and balance related occurrences are poor communication, time pressure, poor quality assurance within the ground agents' organisation, lack of training of flight/cabin crew, lack of training of ground agents' personnel and poor loading procedures.

The study shows that there are large regional differences in the weight and balance related accident rate. The African region showed the highest accident rate and the North American region the lowest.

These findings appear in Analysis of aircraft weight and balance related safety occurrences, a paper presented by Gerard van Es, a senior consultant with NLR Air Transport Safety Institute, at Flight Safety Foundation's 19th annual European Aviation Safety Seminar (EASS), held March 13-14, 2007, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. If you want to receive a copy, please contact the author Gerard van Es.

Links
The magazine Flight has refered this announcement in the article Safety: Airlines caught off balance.

Aircraft accident in Indonesia (in Dutch)

Indonesië is recentelijk opgeschrikt door een aantal catastrofale ongevallen met passagiersvliegtuigen. Vandaag (7 maart 2007) vond opnieuw een ongeval plaats. Een Boeing 737-400 van Garuda Indonesia met 140 inzittenden schoot door tijdens de landing op de luchthaven van Yogyakarta. Het vliegtuig vloog in brand en volgens de laatste berichten zijn daarbij 49 inzittenden omgekomen. Dit is het tweede fatale ongeval met Indonesische luchtvaartmaatschappij in 2007. In totaal waren daarbij meer dan 150 slachtoffers te betreuren. Gegevens afkomstig uit de NLR-ATSI vliegveiligheidsdatabase laten zien dat er sinds 1997 in totaal 44 ongevallen zijn geweest met commerciele Indonesische luchtvaartmaatschappijen waarbij meer dan 700 passagiers omkwamen.

De gegevens uit de NLR-ATSI database laten verder zien dat de kans op een ongeval met een Indonesische luchtvaartmaatschappij circa 3 maal hoger is dan het wereldwijde gemiddelde. Een opmerkelijk feit is dat in bijna 40% van de 44 ongevallen met Indonesische luchtvaartmaatschappijen het vliegtuig tijdens de start of landing van de baan af reed. Wereldwijd gebeurt dit maar in 18% van alle ongevallen. Hoewel nader onderzoek noodzakelijk is naar dit verschil, lijken lokale weersomstandigheden een belangrijke factor te zijn geweest. Uit eerder onderzoek van NLR-ATSI blijkt dat o.a. regen en wind een grote invloed hebben op het risico van doorschieten tijdens de landing. In slechts 10% van alle gevallen dat een vliegtuig doorschiet tijdens de start of landing zijn er slachtoffers te betreuren.

Sinds de jaren negentig is het aantal commerciële luchtmaatschappijen in Indonesië verdrievoudigd. Deze groei komt voornamelijk van 'low cost' maatschappijen.

De Boeing 737-400 van Garuda Indonesia was gebouwd in 1992 en wordt sinds oktober 2002 door Garuda Indonesia geleased. Het vliegtuig heeft meer dan 33.000 vlieguren gemaakt.

A safe year for Dutch aviation

Increased risk of accidents with blacklisted airlines

10 January 2007

Preliminary figures for the past year indicate that worldwide 86 accidents occurred involving commercial aircraft weighing more than 5.5 tonnes. Remarkably, these accidents involved 12 airlines blacklisted by the EU. This is evident from database analysis by the new NLR Air Transport Safety Institute.

Statistics for 2006 also show that only 8 operators from the EU were involved in aircraft accidents. None of the EU operators were involved in any fatal accident. The year 2006 was another safe year also for the Dutch airline industry. While airlines currently blacklisted by the EU account for approximately 0.3% of total air traffic in 2006, they are involved in 14% of the accidents. The chance of an EU-blacklisted airline becoming involved in a serious accident is more than 50 times greater than for all other airlines. Compared to airlines from the EU, this chance is even more than 100 times greater.

Michel Piers, director of the NLR Air Transport Safety Institute: "Although the high safety level of aviation is undisputed, the statistics for 2006 clearly demonstrate that the blacklist is there for good reason. The fact that the blacklist is public puts market pressure on the "weak performers" to put their house in order. As the Air Transport Safety Institute we conduct ongoing research into the causes of accidents and primary safety risks in aviation. The findings are used to further improve safety if possible and necessary."

Veilig jaar voor Nederlandse luchtvaart

Voorlopige cijfers van het afgelopen jaar laten zien dat er wereldwijd 86 ongevallen met commerciële vliegtuigen zwaarder dan 5,5 ton plaatsvonden. Opvallend was dat er bij dit aantal ongevallen 12 luchtvaartmaatschappijen betrokken waren die op de zwarte lijst van de EU staan. Dit blijkt uit de database analyse van het nieuwe ’NLR Air Transport Safety Institute’.

Gegevens uit 2006 laten bovendien zien dat er maar 8 operators uit de EU betrokken waren bij de vliegongevallen. Geen van de EU operators was betrokken bij een fataal ongeval. Ook voor de Nederlandse luchtvaartmaatschappijen was 2006 wederom een veilig jaar. De luchtvaartmaatschappijen die nu op de zwarte lijst staan van de EU nemen circa 0,3 % van het totale luchtverkeer van 2006 voor hun rekening maar zijn betrokken bij 14% van de ongevallen. De kans dat een luchtvaartmaatschappij die op de zwarte lijst van de EU staat bij een ernstig ongeval betrokken raakt is meer dan 50 keer hoger dan voor alle andere luchtvaartmaatschappijen. In vergelijking tot luchtvaartmaatschappijen uit de EU is deze kans zelfs meer dan 100 keer hoger.

Michel Piers, Director van het NLR Air Transport Safety Institute: “Alhoewel het hoge veiligheidsniveau van de luchtvaart onbetwist is, laten de cijfers van 2006 duidelijk zien dat de zwarte lijst er niet voor niets is. Doordat de zwarte lijst openbaar is, worden de ‘zwakke broeders’ middels marktdruk aangemoedigd om orde op zaken te stellen. Als Air Transport Safety Institute doen wij voortdurend onderzoek naar de oorzaken van ongevallen en de belangrijkste veiligheidsrisico’s in de luchtvaart. De bevindingen worden gebruikt om de veiligheid waar mogelijk en nodig verder te verbeteren.

NLR Establishes Air Transport Safety Institute

01 June 2006

The National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR) of the Netherlands has decided to cluster its knowledge and expertise in the field of air transport safety in a single institute. The broader objective of the NLR Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI) will be to further improve the safety of air traffic. One of the key questions it will tackle is how the growing need for airspace and airport capacity can be accommodated without jeopardizing safety on board and on the ground. Based on research and analysis, NLR-ATSI will put forward solutions to make air transport safer and more efficient. NLR-ATSI’s international client base will include airports, air traffic control bodies, authorities, and regulatory and supervisory bodies.

One of the institute’s key characteristics is its integrated approach to safety issues. This coincides closely with the multidisciplinary setup of the NLR, where the institute is housed. The institute thus has access to NLR’s high-grade expertise and facilities. NLR has already conducted many studies in the field of air transport safety. This includes the mapping of safety management in the Swiss aviation industry, and safety assessments of new flight procedures at airports such as Schiphol, Zurich, Reykjavik.

NLR-ATSI will apply its extensive expertise and experience in the field of air safety, supported by advanced simulation programs and databases, to research and advise on air transport safety issues. The institute’s core activities will include safety cases and aeronautical studies, advice on safety management, support in regulation and supervision, advice on safety processes and procedures, and the provision of safety training.

The institutional format will ensure flexibility and efficiency, while the excellent staff and professional facilities will ensure adequate answers to questions from the aviation industry. The institute’s international orientation and integrated vision on safety issues is another key characteristic. This will help fulfill NLR-ATSI’s ambition to become Europe’s leading institute on safety issues in the aviation industry. This leading international role will have significant benefits for the institute in terms of supporting the Dutch government and the broader aviation industry. For instance, with regard to policy decisions relating to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

NLR start veiligheidsinstituut voor de luchtvaart

01 juni 2006

Het Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium (NLR) heeft besloten haar opgebouwde kennis en expertise op het gebied van de luchtvaartveiligheid te bundelen in het NLR Air Transport Safety Institute (NLR-ATSI). Dit instituut gaat zich bezighouden met het verder verbeteren van de veiligheid van het vliegverkeer. Daarbij staat de vraag centraal hoe je tegemoet kunt komen aan de behoefte aan steeds meer capaciteit in de lucht en op de luchthavens en tegelijkertijd de veiligheid aan boord en op de grond kunt waarborgen. NLR-ATSI kan op basis van onderzoek en analyses oplossingen aandragen die efficiënter en veiliger vliegen mogelijk maken. De internationale klantenkring van NLR-ATSI zal o.a. bestaan uit luchthavens, luchtverkeersleiding, overheden, regelgevers en toezichthouders.

Het instituut kenmerkt zich door een integrale aanpak van het veiligheidsvraagstuk. Het sluit direct aan bij de multidisciplinaire werkwijze van het NLR, waar het is ondergebracht. Daardoor kan het instituut optimaal gebruik maken van de hoogwaardige kennis en faciliteiten van het NLR. Het NLR heeft al veel opdrachten uitgevoerd op het gebied van veilig vliegverkeer, zoals het in kaart brengen van het safety management van de luchtvaartspelers in Zwitserland en het vaststellen van de veiligheid van nieuwe vliegprocedures voor vliegvelden als Schiphol, Zürich en Reykjavik.

NLR-ATSI zal haar uitgebreide kennis en ervaring in luchtvaartveiligheid en haar geavanceerde simulatieprogramma’s en gegevensbestanden inzetten voor onderzoek en advisering op het gebied van vliegveiligheidsvraagstukken. Tot de kernactiviteiten van het instituut zullen behoren: het uitvoeren van safety cases en ''aeronautical studies'', advisering over safety management, het ondersteunen van regelgeving en toezicht, het geven van adviezen op het gebied van veiligheidsprocessen en procedures en het verzorgen van safety trainingen.

De instituutsvorm maakt het mogelijk flexibel en slagvaardig te opereren. Een excellente staf en een professionele omgeving staan er garant voor dat vragen uit de luchtvaartsector adequaat kunnen worden beantwoord. De internationale en integrale visie op het veiligheidsvraagstuk is een ander essentieel kenmerk van het instituut. Daarmee kan invulling gegeven worden aan de ambitie van het NLR-ATSI om het toonaangevende instituut in Europa te worden op het gebied van veiligheidsvraagstukken in de luchtvaart. Een internationale koppositie voor het instituut levert belangrijke voordelen bij de ondersteuning door het instituut van de Nederlandse overheid en de sector, bijvoorbeeld ten aanzien van de besluitvorming rondom Schiphol.

First in Europe: TÜV NORD CERT is the First Recognised Organisation in Europe for Certification of Air Navigation Service Providers

NLR becomes partner in European organisation for certification of Air Navigation Service Providers.

17 may 2006

BERLIN and ESSEN, Germany, May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Today (Wednesday, May 17) at the ILA, TÜV NORD CERT received the accreditation for the certification of air navigation service providers from the Federal Ministry for Traffic, Construction and Urban Development.

State secretary Dr. Engelbert Lütke Daldrup, a representative of the Federal Ministry, handed Volker Klosowski the accreditation certificate; Mr. Klosowski is a board member of the TUV NORD Group and is responsible for certification and international affairs. TÜV NORD CERT is the first company in Europe holding an accreditation of this kind. It will enable TUV NORD CERT to certify air navigation service providers throughout Europe, according to the regulation for air navigation service providers (EG Nr. 550/2004).

TÜV NORD CERT will be allowed to certify all organisations involved in air navigation service provision. These services include: air controllers, meteorological services, briefing services as well as communication and support services.

"We are very proud that we were able to prove our capabilities to the Federal Ministry,", said Volker Klosowski and added further: "We are especially pleased that we are the first to provide this service in Europe."

TÜV NORD CERT (www.tuev-nord-cert.de) is the accreditation authority leading an international consortium with the AFI Flight Inspection (www.afi.aero), the Aviation Institute of the Braunschweig Technical University (www.tu-braunschweig.de/iff), OECON Association of Engineers for Industry Consulting and Project Management (www.oecon-line.de) and NLR (www.nlr.nl) as the other members.

About the TÜV NORD Group

"We make the world a safer place": The TÜV NORD Group (www.tuev-nord.de) is one of the leading technical service providers in Germany and Northern Europe with more than 6,600 employees, of whom more than 5,000 have a technical/scientific educational background. In addition, the group is also represented in more than 30 countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas with their own team of representatives and associations. The leading market position of the group is based on its technical competency and a broad array of consultation and test services in the areas of academia, energy and system technology, international, mobility, systems and certification services.

Distributed by PR Newswire on behalf of TÜV

NLR-ATSI Studying Airport Options for Reykjavik

01 March 2006

The NLR Air Transport Safety Institute has been commissioned by the Reykjavik Airport Consultative Committee to design and evaluate options for the airport's future. Drawing on the latest airport technology, the safety institute will focus on noise and safety considerations like cross wind and obstacles.

Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, has grown rapidly in recent years, while space for homes and jobs has become scarcer. The airport is located in one of the few areas where the city can still expand. But the airport is also a vital hub in the country's transport infrastructure. The question is whether to shrink the airport, releasing some land for housing and industry, or do away with it altogether? In the latter case, what would be the consequences?

The RATIO (Reykjavik Airport Trade-off Investigation into Future Operational Concepts) project will explore all the options. If Reykjavik airport closes, aircraft will no longer be diverted there from Keflavik, Iceland's only international airport. Aircraft will then have to carry more fuel, and carriers may have to discontinue freight services.

The RATIO project team completed its pre-design stage in January 2006 and expects to complete the final stage in May 2006. The NLR-ATSI’s partner in the project is Netherlands Airport Consultants (NACO).