The communication, navigation, surveillance-air traffic management (CNS/ATM) system may already be in operation but it still needs to be fine-tuned, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) spokesman Eric Apolonio said on Wednesday.

FOR SAFER AIR TRAVEL President Rodrigo Duterte gets a briefing about the capabilities of the new navigation and surveillance system at the Philippine Air Traffic Management Center in Pasay City. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

“The fine tuning or “shadowing” started last October. We’re hoping that the system would be fully operational before the end of the year,” Apolonio said in an interview during the inauguration of the system on Tuesday.

Fine-tuning is the process in which parameters of a model must be adjusted to make it more effective.

Apolonio said through the CNS/ATM, the aviation agency was able to monitor 80 percent of the Manila Flight Information Region assigned to the Philippines by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Get the latest news
delivered to your inbox
Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters
By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

The high-tech equipment, which was partly funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, provides safer and more efficient air traffic management flow in the country, and will enable airlines to meet departure and arrival schedules.

The CNS/ATM system, which was inaugurated by President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, aims to end air traffic congestion in Manila.