Polaris presentation & Demo Events for Isavia ANS

Over the past few weeks, we have hosted a series of presentations and demos for our Polaris ICE version, tailored specifically to meet the needs of Isavia ANS. It is safe to say that the presentations and demos have been a success and the feedback we have received from Isavia ANS was very encouraging. A big congratulations to our Polaris ICE Core Team, which includes employees from both Tern Systems and Isavia ANS, for their outstanding efforts in planning and executing these events. It is fair to say that both management at Isavia ANS and ATCOs have been impressed by how far Polaris has come as well as by the user experience.

“Polaris is a young product with a long history as Tern and Isavia ANS’s collaboration has spanned a couple of decades. It is delightful to be able to harvest and showcase the great amount of work invested by those two companies and the intelligence that thrives inside them. Isavia ANS’s extensive domain knowledge and vision, combined with Tern’s exceptional ability to transform these insights into a highly functional product, highlight the strength of this partnership. Polaris ICE is specifically adapted to Isavia ANS needs and the past few weeks have given us an opportunity to showcase the progress to various groups within Isavia ANS to get valuable feedback”, says Ingi Sturla Thorisson, project lead on behalf of Isavia ANS.

Isavia ANS has collaborated with Tern Systems for nearly three decades and this close collaboration has now produced a competitive ATM system that is modern, secure, and highly adaptable to the evolving needs of air navigation. “This is an important confirmation that the development of Polaris is progressing according to our expectations. During the demos we received ample feedback and suggestions that will help us to improve the Polaris ATM system even further.” Says Thor Hauksson, project lead on behalf of Tern Systems.

Polaris ATM is a new Air Traffic Management System from Tern Systems designed to meet the demands of increasing air traffic in the future. Polaris offers a highly configurable user interface and advanced functionalities that enable users to manage complex operations with ease, enhancing operational performance, safety, and decision-making in high-pressure environments. Currently the Polaris ATM system is being developed and adapted as a main ATM system for Isavia ANS and as a backup system for HungaroControl. The plan is to implement Polaris as a backup ATM system in Hungary in 2026 and as the primary system for approach over Keflavik and Reykjavik airports also in 2026.

More about Polaris ATM

Tern Systems' Polaris ATM completes FAT for HungaroControl delivery

Tern Systems and HungaroControl have signed a Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) Certificate, a major milestone in delivering the Polaris ATM backup system to HungaroControl in the second half of 2025. The FAT confirmed that the Polaris system is performing in accordance with the initial system and design requirements.

Representatives from Tern Systems and HungaroControl who participated in the factory acceptance test.

Since 2020, HungaroControl has been a key development partner of Tern Systems, joining Isavia ANS, which has collaborated with Tern Systems for nearly three decades. This close partnership with experts at both HungaroControl and Isavia ANS has enabled Tern Systems to deliver a competitive backup system that is modern, secure, and highly adaptable to the evolving needs of air navigation.

Polaris ATM is a new Air Traffic Management System from Tern Systems designed to meet the demands of increasing air traffic in the future. Polaris offers a highly configurable user interface and advanced functionalities that enable users to manage complex operations with ease, enhancing operational performance, safety, and decision-making in high-pressure environments.

HungaroControl provides air navigation services in both Hungarian airspace and as part of a NATO assignment, the upper airspace over Kosovo. In recent years, the company has been making ground-breaking efforts in leading and supporting innovation to improve flight safety, increase capacity, reduce airline costs, and enhance environmental protection. “We have been developing the Polaris ATM backup system together with Tern Systems since 2020 and the successful Factory Acceptance Test is an important confirmation that the development of Polaris is progressing according to our expectations and needs.” Says Gabor Szabo, ATM System Development Engineer Expert.

Tern Systems designs and builds Air Traffic Management (ATM) software solutions, with nearly three decades of deliveries to customers across Europe, Asia, Oceania and Africa. Tern Systems is an established provider of Air Traffic Control solutions with headquarters in Iceland and offices in Hungary and Poland. “At Tern Systems, we greatly value our partnership with HungaroControl, which has been instrumental in refining the Polaris ATM system to meet the unique demands of tactical environments, where high traffic density converges within constrained airspace. The success of the Factory Acceptance Test further validates Polaris's capability to serve even the most demanding Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs).” says Magnus Thordarson, CEO of Tern Systems.

SESAR Innovation Days 2024

Last month, our team had the opportunity to attend the SESAR Innovation Days (SIDs) 2024, a event for the Air Traffic Management (ATM) research community.

The event was a great opportunity to explore the latest advancements in Air Traffic Management (ATM) technologies, demonstrating research and innovative solutions that redefine aviation. It was a showcase of the industry's future, with technologies that promise to make air travel safer, more efficient, and sustainable. Our team had many meaningful conversations, connected with other researchers, and created stronger partnerships. These interactions provide us with fresh perspectives and new ideas to bring back to our work.

In conjunction with the SIDs, we attended a productive Project Management Board meeting with our partners in the AWARE ATM project, discussing the progress we've made and plotting the course for the future. 

The AWARE project, part of the SESAR Horizon-2023 exploratory research call, aims to enhance human-machine collaboration in air traffic management (ATM). Building on the AISA project’s findings, AWARE focuses on integrating an AI Assistant to assist Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) with decision-making and handling simpler tasks. The project uses Artificial Situational Awareness, Attention Tracking (gaze and HMI), and rule-based knowledge to improve ATCO efficiency.

For more information about the AWARE project visit https://www.aware-sesar.eu/

In addition to our involvement in the AWARE project, Tern Systems is also partnering in the ENSURE project, led by Indra. The ENSURE project, building on the results of SESAR PJ34 AURA, aims to refine and complete the definition of the common ATM-U-space interface. It focuses on identifying new areas of impact and providing a consolidated interface with a standardized data model, architecture, and operational methodology, aiming to achieve a minimum Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 7.

For more information about the Ensure project visit https://sesar.eu/projects/ensure

Our experience at SESAR Innovation Days 2024 has not only enriched our understanding but also reinforced our commitment to contributing to the evolution of ATM. We're proud to be part of this journey towards innovation and excellence in aviation.

We are now actively seeking new research partners for collaboration in international research initiatives, with a particular focus on the forthcoming SESAR calls next year. For partnership inquiries and opportunities, we invite you to reach out to Hólmfríður Elvarsdóttir, our Research and Innovation Lead. Feel free to contact her at holmfridur@tern.is. We look forward to exploring collaborative possibilities with you.