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Thinking on any of the following?:

• Air Traffic Management (ATM)
• Air Traffic Control Communication, Navigation & Surveillance (ATC CNS) System Engineering and Design
• ATM Project Management
• Technical Safeguarding and Simulation

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Case Studies

London - Oxford Airport: Runway 19 Re-configuration

January 2010

In 2005 the then Oxford Aviation Services (OAS) Limited made the decision to transition from a predominantly Flying Training establishment into the Business and Executive Aviation market and also to stimulate greater use of the airfield by the recreational GA market.  To that end OAS undertook to improve the airport runway environment and associated taxiways to serve the needs of its current and future customer base more effectively.  Cyrrus Ltd was engaged by OAS to be their Prime Consultants and Overall Project Managers for this major development programme.

At that point the airport Runways were: 01/19, 1319m x 23m and licensed as Code 2B. The airport management planned to upgrade the runway to a Precision Runway Code 2C by adding an additional 7m width to the western edge of the existing runway width over its entire length.  During these works, the runway PCN was to be increased by resurfacing.  In addition, a Category I Instrument Landing System (ILS) together with the associated lighting (AGL) system and other supporting infrastructure for the ILS was required to be installed.  Although it was recognised that widening and resurfacing the runway was a major commitment and could have resulted in a certain period of non-availability, the airport management was desirous to retain operational capability for as long as was safe and practicable.

Project Definition

The Cyrrus compiled Project Definition finally covered:

• The upgrade of runway 01/19 to Code 2C.
• The upgrade of runway 01/19 PCN.
• The upgrade of runway 19 to be compliant with a precision runway configuration.
• The provision of a precision approach facility to runway 19.
• The relocation of the PAPI systems to support 3.0° approaches to runway 19.
• The provision of an approach lighting system to runway 19, capable of supporting ILS Category I operations.
• The provision of the appropriate airport infrastructure to support ILS category I operations to runway 19:
• Provision of Instrumented Runway Visual Range (IRVR)
• The provision of an upgraded Met Farm:
• The provision of a new Non-Directional Beacon (NDB).
• The Commissioning Flight Inspection of the new ILS and NDB.
• The provision of extensively revised Local Operating Procedures: ie The Aerodrome Manual and MATS Part II
• The provision of appropriate Safety Cases

All changes had, at all times, to be in accordance with the requirements of ICAO DOC 8168, ICAO Annex 14, CAA CAP 168, CAA CAP 670 and any other regulatory requirements.

Finally, as far as practicable but commensurate with safety, all changes were not to preclude or degrade existing operations.

Expressions of Interest

Cyrrus Ltd authored and issued the Expression of Interest (EOI) for the pavement and airfield ground lighting (AGL) works in December 2005.  The EOI was distributed to a selected set of experienced companies in order to determine the level of interest in the work, to ascertain the options for the upgrade and to explore innovative ways of minimising the impact to routine air operations at Oxford.  The response was extremely positive and all responders presented credible plans to meet the requirement.

Invitations to Tender (ITT) and Project Plan

The composition of an appropriate ITT was subsequently undertaken by Cyrrus, as was the ITT evaluation and the production of the detailed Project Plan.

Other aspects included in the Project Plan were:  air navigation equipment procurement, systems integration, safety case preparation and project oversight and management.

Project Realisation

During the Project Realisation Phase, Cyrrus Ltd retained overall project oversight and management, co-ordinating and integrating the disparate sub-projects into a pragmatic and cohesive plan.  The result was a major programme that was completed ON TIME and ON BUDGET in August 2007; this has resulted in strong business relationships being forged between those companies that assisted in the successful realisation of this major programme and Cyrrus Ltd who exercised overall management control.  Moreover, such was the success of this project, the re-branded London Oxford Airport management team entrust Cyrrus Ltd with the ongoing ATC Engineering management, a role that Cyrrus is proud to continue with, to date.