Old school New England 92 - Scanorama

HEAD THE SAS FLIGHT CLASS
SAS’s very own traffi c controllers
SAS’s Operation Control Centers in Norway, Denmark and Sweden keep a close
eye on all of SAS’s fl ights to make sure everything goes according to plan. If a
problem arises, it’s their job to make sure it’s taken care of.
Safety fi rst
Safety, punctuality and service come fi rst
at the OCC, which makes sure any potential
problems – from technical issues to
bad weather or volcanic ash – are resolved
quickly and smoothly. There are three SAS
Operation Control Centers, one for each
Scandinavian hub, CPH, ARN and OSL.
All in a week’s work
Once Network Planning has set the traffi c
schedule for the coming month, it is handed
over to the OCC whose short-term planning
group checks that it’s practical before passing
it onto the operations unit (OP) seven
days before departure. The OP locks in the
schedule and makes sure it follows rules
and regulations.
Crunch time
Around 7pm the OP sends out the aircraft
disposition message for both internal
(ground handling and technical operations)
and external use. This tells airports, for
example, which plane will be fl ying which
route the following day.
Problem solving
The OCC makes sure planes arrive at the
gate on time. The OCC also works with
Crew Control, which makes sure fl ights are
properly staff ed. Resource Aircraft Control
(RAC) keeps an eye on the next day’s
fl ights and seven days ahead. If there are
technical issues that can’t be solved ahead
of departure, or if a larger airplane is needed
for an overbooked fl ight, it’s the RAC’s
responsibility.
Traffi c handling
The duty production manager (DPM) is
in charge of all SAS air traffi c. He decides
when to delay or cancel fl ights. The DPM
in Copenhagen is also the initiating offi -
cer (fi rst point of contact) in the event of
an accident or incident. The DPM works
alongside two fl ight controllers who monitor
traffi c and handle daily problems.
The Operation Control Centers are
one of the reasons why SAS is the
world’s most punctual airline
Opus 4
The OCC keeps track of all fl ights through
the computer system Opus 4, where they
are displayed on a horizontal bar chart.
Through Opus 4, the OCC can see where
every airplane and fl ight starts and fi nishes.
Constant vigil
The OCC is staff ed around the clock to keep
traffi c fl owing. The DPM is on duty between
5.30am and 11pm, with fl ight controllers on
hand 24-7, 365 days a year. LISA ROSMAN
The Opus 4 computer system displays departures,
fl ights in progress, and arrivals as color
coded dashes
14
PHOTO CAMILLA DECEMBER LINDQVIST 2011/JANUARY // SCANORAMA 2012 SCANORAMA
APRIL 2011
PHOTO: RASMUS NORRLANDER, SAMIR SOUDAH