Indra strengthens its position in Air Traffic Management in Canada: consolidates its role as a simulator provider for NAV CANADA
Press Release + Noah Note
The company, has signed a multi-year framework agreement with NAV CANADA to supply a next-generation simulation platform that will be used by Canada’s air navigation service provider across its national training network
The solution will support and standardise simulation capacities across the 7 Air Taffic Services schools that train flight service specialists (FSS), and air traffic controllers (ATC) nationwide
Indra plays a key role in the transformation of air traffic management in Canada through its ongoing collaboration with NAV CANADA, particularly following the Canadian provider’s entry into the iTEC Collaboration, which boosts more efficient and sustainable aviation
Indra has signed a multi-year framework agreement with NAV CANADA, Canada’s air navigation service provider, under which it becomes NAV CANADA’s technology supplier for next-generation training simulation solutions across its entire national training network of air traffic controllers and air traffic management professionals, supporting NAV CANADA’s Operational Training Modernization Program (OTMP) and the modernization and standardization of training.
Under the agreement, NAV CANADA will deploy Micro Nav’s BEST simulation platform, enabling a comprehensive data-driven modernization of its simulation environment. Once fully implemented, the platform will support training the current and future generation of Air Traffic Services Professionals.
The solution incorporates AI-enabled speech recognition, high-fidelity 3D Tower visualizations, scenario and data creation capabilities, and connectivity with operational systems for training and validation purposes. The platform is designed to support flexible training configurations while ensuring training professionals retain full control over data management, system configuration, and usage requirements. The new technology will also modernize how air traffic services (ATS) professionals are trained, while providing the scalability and resilience required to support long-term operational needs.
Victor Martínez, Executive Vice President of ATM at Indra Group, highlighted: “This agreement represents a further step in our objective to grow in North America and strengthens our collaboration with NAV CANADA in a new area, namely advanced air traffic simulation, through Micro Nav. We are proud that NAV CANADA continues to place its trust in us and in our technology, and we will contribute to and support its plans and vision for a more efficient and sustainable aviation”.
“The selection of Micro Nav’s BEST platform is a key step in modernizing our training infrastructure nationwide”, said David Sheppard, Vice President & Chief Technology and Information Officer at NAV CANADA. “This technology provides a scalable, resilient foundation that supports our long-term training modernization objectives”.
“This agreement supports our commitment to developing and empowering the next generation of air traffic services professionals”, said Diana Kelly, Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer at NAV CANADA. “Modern, high-fidelity simulation technology will enhance how our students learn and Air Traffic Services Learning professionals enable learning, collaborate, and meet today’s challenges — and stay ready for tomorrow's”.
"This partnership represents a significant milestone for both organizations", said Greg Pile, Managing Director at Micro Nav. "NAV CANADA's selection of BEST validates our commitment to delivering world-class ATC simulation technology that supports the evolving needs of modern air navigation service providers. We look forward to working closely with NAV CANADA to achieve their OTMP vision”.
With this agreement, Indra reinforces its commitment to NAV CANADA, a member of the iTEC Collaboration, through which leading air navigation service providers in Europe and Canada collaborate on the joint development of advanced and standardized air traffic management solutions. In this way, Indra further consolidates the strategic relationship between the two organizations.
Noah Note: A good step, and one that many could likely predict with Canadian entry into iTEC back in 2024. For those that don't know, iTEC is a cooperative alliance between major European Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) and Indra. This includes the German DFS, British NATS, and Norwegian Avinor among others.
The primary system behind this is iTEC SkyNex, which will replace legacy air traffic infrastructure with a cloud-enabled platform that utilizes Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO) to manage aircraft in four dimensions—latitude, longitude, altitude, and time.
Rather than monitoring disjointed sectors, this system allows controllers to predict flight paths and potential conflicts hours in advance, facilitating seamless, "silent" data exchange with allied airspaces across the North Atlantic without the need for verbal coordination.
That’s the idea, at least. This agreement is sort of a no-brainer given this shift and Canadian involvement in iTEC. Edmonton was the first to receive this new technology last year, with a slow rollout currently in the works.
NAV CANADA is currently undergoing one of its largest modernizations in decades, something going under the radar. Along with SkyNex, there has also been major investment in rolling out AI and Digital Twin technologies across Area Control Centres, as well as further investments in Space-Based ADS-B through the Aireon initiative, of which NAV CANADA holds a majority stake (51%). That's with Iridium Communications and a few others.
These modernizations are designed to bring Canadian air traffic controllers into the 21st century, though it isn't without controversy. Under this modernization, several legacy systems, many of which have long been vital to Canadian aerospace, are on the chopping block.
The first casualty of this shift is the rapid decommissioning of NAV CANADA’s network of VORs (VHF Omnidirectional Range) and NDBs (Non-Directional Beacons). The aggressive decommissioning of these ground-based aids is pushing the entire Canadian aviation community to rely on a single point of failure: GNSS.
The logic is that maintaining 1950s radio beacons is fiscally irresponsible in a GPS world. They are ancient and expensive to maintain, and for a service moving into the digital age, it becomes questionable if the expense and time needed to maintain this network is valuable. The strategic vulnerability is, admittedly, glaring. It's understandable why this move is controversial. It means dismantling the only backup navigation layer that works when our satellite constellations are potentially jammed, spoofed, or temporarily offline.
For the general aviation pilot or the northern operator, the cost of entry is also significant. It represents a five-figure cost to play in a system that will have no analogue fallback. In vulnerable regions such as the North, such fallbacks form a critical layer of infrastructure—both civilian and military.
But the far more notable gamble here is the controversial proposal to divest 18 Primary Surveillance Radars (PSR) at Canada's major airports. This is where National Security issues really come into focus. The RCAF relies on these civilian radars to track "non-cooperative" targets—aircraft that, due to malice or malfunction, have gone dark.
By shutting them down to save maintenance costs, the RCAF worries that we are creating holes in our ability to detect internal threats over our largest cities, creating a surveillance gap that they admit they can’t fill until at least 2030.
As far as I know from talking around, the RCAF has been offered the option of either invoking the Civil Air Navigation Services Commercialization Act (CANSCA) to take over the cost and liabilities of the radar network, or allowing the network to be decommissioned as planned. I have no idea which way they're leaning.
There have also been talks of a more gradual divestment that would allow the RCAF the time to integrate new systems and capabilities as opposed to the original plans. A topic I should look into more? Probably. However, at the heels of progress, there will always be debates on what is still of value from the old world.
Some things to think about. Modernization is excellent, and it will fundamentally change how we monitor our airspace; however, modernization also comes with tough questions and sacrifices.
Good points. They should try to hold onto both the radars & UHF. Instead focus on how to reduce maintenance costs. We have to get out of this ‘everything will be fine always, forever’ attitude especially when it comes to critical infrastructure like this. Covid has taught us this. Orange man bad has taught us this. Is the bureaucracy not listening?
If there is indeed no backup system, that is a very bad thing in life critical systems. Much more needs to be written and exposed.