XN000022-1977-01-23 — Page 3

SUNDAY, JANUARY 23, 1977

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COMPUTERISED FLIGHT INFORMATION DISPLAY SYSTEM NOW IN FULL OPERATION AT KAI TAK

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A COMPUTERISED FLIGHT INFORMATION DISPLAY SYSTEM (FIDS) HAS COME INTO OPERATION AT THE HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MARKING YET ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT TO FACILITIES FOR TRAVELLERS AT KAI TAK.

THE SOPHISTICATED SYSTEM, COSTING MORE THAN $3 MILLION, IS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING UP-TO-THE-MOMENT INFORMATION CONCERNING FLIGHT MOVEMENTS ON A NETWORK OF FULLY-AUTOMATED DISPLAY BOARDS AND TV MONITORS.

ANNOUNCING THE INTRODUCTION OF FIDS, THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION, MR. ROY DOWNING, SAID THE PURPOSE WAS TO PROVIDE EXPEDITIOUSLY AND ACCURATELY VISUAL FLIGHT INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE TO PASSENGERS AND OTHER USERS OF THE AIRPORT.

+THE FIDS IS AN ESSENTIAL FEATURE OF THE AIRPORT TERMINAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, MADE NECESSARY BY THE VERY LARGE AND CONSTANTLY INCREASING NUMBER OF PASSENGERS MAKING USE OF THE TERMINAL BUILDING EACH YEAR, HE SAID.

+ IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING INFORMATION, THE SYSTEM IS NECESSARY, + HE SAID, TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO PASSENGERS TO ENABLE THEM TO MOVE THROUGH THE AIRPORT AREA IN THE SHORTEST TIME POSSIBLE.+

BASICALLY, ALL INFORMATION CONCERNING INCOMING OR OUTGOING FLIGHTS IS FED INTO A COMPUTER, PROCESSED AND RELAYED AS REQUIRED TO A NUMBER OF STRATEGICALLY POSITIONED DISPLAY FLAPBOARDS AND TV MONITORS.

FLIGHT SCHEDULES FOR A WHOLE SEASON CAN BE STORED IN THE COMPUTER MEMORY BANK AND DISPLAYED AS AND WHEN REQUIRED. ALL DETAILS CAN BE READILY UPDATED, AND THE COMPUTER WILL LATER BE PROGRAMMED TO ERASE INFORMATION AUTOMATICALLY AS FLIGHTS ARRIVE AND DEPART.

ITEMS DISPLAYED INCLUDE AIRLINE LOGO, FLIGHT NUMBER, PREVIOUS STOP, NEXT DESTINATION, ESTIMATED AND ACTUAL TIME OF ARRIVAL OR DEPARTURE, FLIGHT STATUS SUCH AS BOARDING, DELAYS OR DIVERSIONS AND THE REASONS.

DETAILS OF UP TO 40 FLIGHTS CAN BE DISPLAYED SIMULTANEOUSLY ON A SET OF FLAPBOARDS AND 36 ON TV MONITORS.

AT PRESENT FOUR LARGE SETS OF FLAPBOARDS ARE LOCATED AT THE DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL LEVELS, AND ONE SMALL FLAPBOARD IS INSTALLED OVER EACH OF THE THREE EXISTING BAGGAGE DISTRIBUTORS IN THE CUSTOMS AREA.

/THE SENSE