CSSI wins airspace work

CSSI Inc. is set to help a group of Latin American and South American countries increase the capacity of their airspace.

Under an $80,000 contract from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, CSSI will provide consulting services to Argentina, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Republic of Venezuela as part of a global air transportation initiative, the company said today.

Under the contract, which runs through March 2005, the Washington company will support the countries' efforts to introduce the reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) initiative. The plan lets airlines and private aircrafts reduce from 2,000 feet to 1,000 feet the vertical distance between airplanes flying at altitudes between 29,000 feet and 41,000 feet. By providing six new flight levels, the initiative will increase airspace capacity as well as reduce flight delays and save fuel.

The RVSM requirement will be implemented Jan. 20, 2005 in the United States and South America.

Under the contract, CSSI and experts from the Federal Aviation Administration will teach air traffic controllers about the initiative, assist in developing national airspace safety oversight programs, develop or refine the countries' RVSM aircraft approval process and create a streamlined way of tracking and documenting RVSM approvals.

The seven countries were selected because they share an airspace boundary with the United States and are essential for the safe and efficient flow of traffic to and from South America. Some also were chosen because they are in the early stages of developing domestic RVSM plans, CSSI said. The Trade and Development Agency will sponsor a series of technical meetings at which the countries will discuss their needs with CSSI's team of experts.

CSSI has provided support services for regional and domestic RVSM implementation projects and related monitoring services in the United States, Canada, the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific region, the South China Sea and Australia.

CSSI specializes in systems analysis and engineering, airspace initiatives, and information and program management. Customers include the domestic and international aviation industries, FAA, the Defense Department and NASA. The company employs more than 200 workers and had 2003 revenue of about $20 million, said Bob Miller, CSSI's director of airspace analysis and modeling.