Thales, world leader in Air Traffic Management (ATM), signed a contract with the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) for the modernization of Iraqi airspace.

Thales will deliver a TopSky-ATC centre in Baghdad, this in addition to the ATC centre equipped in Basra in 2007.  This contract makes Thales’s TopSky-ATC the referenced air traffic control system in Iraq. Thales will also supply 3 latest generation RSM970S secondary radars to the ICAA, which will complement Iraqi air space coverage.

This contract highlights the strength of the partnership being forged between Thales and the ICAA. In their efforts to reconstruct and modernize Iraqi infrastructure in the post war period, the ICAA has been seeking long term partnerships with systems providers capable of delivering both advanced and efficient ATM systems, and the knowhow necessary to train world class ATC controllers.

Thales TopSky-ATC’s technological superiority and training excellence, assures the future proofing of Iraq’s air traffic management.

This contract brings the total number Thales ATM centers and towers in the region to 16. In addition to the radar coverage provided to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Pakistan as well as the navaids which cover the entire region, Thales is the largest ATM provider in the Middle East.

“As a destination, as a waypoint between the eastern and western hemispheres and as the hub for some of the world’s major airlines, the Middle East is a crucial ATM region. Iraq is in a vital regional and geographic position and as it comes out of a very difficult period, Thales will be there to support them in building a world class air traffic management network,” said Jean-Marc Alias, Vice President of Thales ATM.