Vaisala signs major AWOS contract for Argentine airports

Weather observation and measurement specialist Vaisala has signed a contract with the Argentine air navigation service provider (EANA) to deploy its AviMet Automated Weather Observing Systems (AWOS) at 31 airports across the country. The contract is valued at €15m (US$16.8m), with installations scheduled to take place over the next two years, starting in the third quarter of 2019. Vaisala’s AviMet AWOS collects, processes and visualizes meteorological data in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and WMO standards. AviMet helps air traffic controllers, pilots, and other aviation personnel make critical decisions by providing continuous, real-time reports on airport weather conditions. In addition to providing basic airport weather observations, AviMet can be customized to detect lightning, runway surface condition, wind shear, and other severe weather phenomena. Jarkko Sairanen, executive vice president, weather and environment, Vaisala, said, “We are extremely proud about this contract with EANA, which is the largest single airport instrumentation contract for Vaisala ever. In Latin America and the Caribbean, AviMet is used already at over 200 airports. For aviation-related operations, Vaisala offers a unique combination of knowledge, experience, and technical capabilities to deliver the optimal solution for each individual airport.” Gabriel Giannotti, president and CEO, EANA, added, “We strongly feel that Vaisala’s AviMet system will significantly improve safety and efficiency at Argentinian airports. In addition, this enables us to prepare for air transportation growth in the future.”