Croatia Control (CCL) successfully completed its investment in the Sjeverni Jadran VHF/UHF radio center, which will increase the overall capacity of air traffic control’s radio system. This investment amounting to nine million kuna represents the most significant part of the investment in the operating system modernization program, which is worth more than 25 million kuna in total. The modernization was initiated for the infrastructure to be able to support the expected increase in air traffic in Croatia in the following years.
The new radio center is located on Guslica in Risnjak National Park, and it will be used by Zagreb Area Control Center and approach air traffic control units. The investment in the new radio center fits in the development of the European air traffic system, which fulfils the guidelines set in the air traffic management performance plan developed within the EU’s Single European Sky program.
“Despite the demanding circumstances of the pandemic, over the previous year and at the beginning of this year, CCL invested more than 117 million kuna in the capacity and increase of safety of air traffic. Solely in the radio infrastructure upgrade program, which included building, replacing and modernizing the radio systems, 25 million kuna were invested. Also, despite the crisis, this year, we established and introduced an integrated national system for the training of tower, approach and area air traffic controllers, which means that the future generations of air traffic controllers will be trained exclusively in Croatia. CCL continues investing in infrastructure, technology and people to keep the standards of safety and quality of traffic in our sky high in the years to come,” said Vlado Bagarić, Director General of CCL.
Guslica radio center is built in cooperation with Risnjak National Park, which will use it as a field station of their patrol service. The facility includes an automatic hydrometeorological station as well. This project demonstrates excellent interdepartmental coordination that resulted in a rational and efficient use of state resources. Its realization simultaneously ensures the prerequisites for delivering a safe, efficient and regular air traffic control service as well as responsible and rational management of national infrastructure resources.
The radio center is built abiding by all the criteria for the protection of nature and environment, so it finally became an integral part of the protected and vast forest area of Gorski kotar. Environmental protection is one of CCL’s key performance indicators.
The project of building, replacing and modernizing radio systems was 85% funded by the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility for air traffic control equipment/infrastructure.
