CAD follows up on brief hitch of ATMS individual workstations

     Individual workstations of the Air Traffic Management System (ATMS) of the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) today (January 1) experienced a brief hitch, during which individual workstations were not being responsive to commands. Throughout the occurrence, Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs) were able to continue to monitor and provide Air Traffic Control (ATC) services to all flights in the Hong Kong Flight Information Region (HKFIR) through the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) display.

     "Individual workstations of the ATMS were not being responsive to commands today. The technical staff on-site immediately followed up and carried out an investigation. The individual workstations concerned were then rebooted. As a precaution, after co-ordinating with the ATC supervisors on-site, the technical staff switched to the Fallback System, an identical system, according to the established procedures at 9.10am. Flow control on departing flights was implemented temporarily.  Arrivals and flights flying through the HKFIR were not affected. The original Main System was rebooted and checked by the technical staff. It then served as a backup. It was not necessary to activate the Ultimate Fallback System of the ATMS in the process," a CAD spokesman said.
 
     "Aviation safety was not affected by the occurrence. The ATCOs were able to keep direct voice communication with the pilots at all times as well as monitor and obtain full information of all flights (including the three essential types of information, namely flight position, altitude information and secondary surveillance radar code) in the HKFIR through the ADS-B display to provide ATC services," he emphasised.
 
     The CAD attaches great importance to the occurrence. The contractor was tasked right after the occurrence to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a report as soon as possible.  The CAD will continue to closely follow up on this occurrence.