It was announced today by NAV– Navegação Aérea de Portugal, that the international tender for the acquisition of two new radars for Madeira Airport will be launched by the end of the semester.
In a statement, a spokesperson for NAV said:
“The financing for the acquisition of both equipment [X-Band Radar and Lidar] is already guaranteed in the NAV budget, so there was no need for the Government to incorporate this expense into the State Budget for 2022.”
NAV adds that it is working directly with the Portuguese Institute of Atmosphere and Sea (IPMA), to review the technical aspects of the equipment needed in order to complete the data specifications that will be presented to potential suppliers.
For this purpose, teams from the two companies will travel to Funchal from the 4th to the 6th of May to carry out a ‘site survey’ and conclude the parts of the procedure relating to the international public tender.
According to NAV, the choice of suppliers should be carried out by the end of the year, thus complying with the schedule of the Working Group for the Study of Air Operation Problems in the Madeira Archipelago. The group’s report, released in July 2021, points, among others, to the acquisition of two new radars that facilitate accurate wind measurements, contributing to a more reliable operationality of the island’s airport, which is often affected by bad weather.
The study indicates that the equipment, valued at 4.5 million euros, should be acquired during the first half of 2023, which would allow its installation by the end of the year.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
