FINLAND SELECTS AVIATION SIMULATION SOFTWARE FROM BOEING SUBSIDIARY THE PRESTON GROUP

The Civil Aviation Administration of Finland has exercised its purchase option with The Preston Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company, for a perpetual license to Total Airspace & Airport Modeller (TAAM).

TAAM is a fast-time gate-to-gate simulation tool used by civil aviation authorities, aviation research establishments, airlines and airports worldwide to analyze operations, redesign airspace, optimize the use of existing facilities, and plan for the future. "Fast-time" means modeling certain activities, like an airport's daily traffic, at many times the speed they happen naturally.

The CAA of Finland (FCAA) will use TAAM capabilities to evaluate noise abatement procedures and assess configuration plans for the potential development at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Due to the coming (November 2002) addition of the new parallel runway, Helsinki-Vantaa is considering the cost and benefits of expansion of their infrastructure to meet with the demands of increased traffic and future growth.

According to FCAA Air Navigation Services Department Assistant Director Jorma Alakoski, "TAAM simulation will be an excellent tool to evaluate the maximum efficiencies possible, either to enlarge our facilities at the present terminal area or to build new terminals for the midfield area between parallel runways. When these projects are complete, we will use TAAM for other airspace initiatives throughout Finland."

The Preston Group (TPG) provides leading simulation, decision support, and scheduling systems for the global aviation industry. TPG has developed advanced optimization and visualization technology, as well as industry expertise, to meet the needs of its customers through cost-effective software systems and services. Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, the company also maintains offices in Washington, D.C., Atlanta and London.

The Preston Group is a unit of Boeing Commercial Aviation Services, which offers the industry's most complete selection of aviation support products and services.