Brighton City Airport has thrust its aerodrome management into the digital arena thanks to Centrik, an EASA-compliant, fully-integrated operational management system.

The successful installation of Centrik means the airport can monitor and manage every aspect of its daily operations, from Air Traffic Control, safety, risk and compliance, through to training, staff meetings, workflows and more – all live and in real time.

Paul Smith, Compliance & Safety Manager at Brighton City Airport, says: “Now that the system is up and running it’s hard to remember a time without it. We needed an overview of everything that was going on, something that gave us the ability to see any problems, issues or risks in real time. We didn’t know such a system existed, but once we saw Centrik in action, it was clear it ticked all the right boxes.”

As well as using Centrik to manage every aspect of its internal operations, Brighton City Airport also provides all third-party contractors with secure access to the system, including external safety groups and local runway safety teams. Evidence systems and processes can then be tracked using real-time reports and analysis – a move which significantly streamlines efficiency.

“I have always heard people talk about a ‘paperless office’, but until now, I’d never actually seen one,” says Smith. “However, thanks to Centrik we can digitally manage and interconnect all of our policies, procedures and reporting.

“The system negates the need for bulging filing cabinets or extensive paper trails – all of the latest, most up-to-date information is available for everyone to use, all of the time, and that’s perfect.”

The airport uses Centrik’s ability to consolidate historical data, with every process, event and report from the past 18 months inputted into the system, providing a spectrum of information that can be easily accessed and integrated into any current or future operational procedure.

With complete visibility and access to this data, Brighton City Airport can use the system to track and monitor critical KPIs and make meaningful comparisons with pre-Centrik management outputs, allowing it to demonstrate the radical impact the system has had on operational efficiency.

“The intuitive nature of the Centrik platform puts this vast amount of information at our fingertips, providing us with all the tools we need to evidence the effectiveness of our operating procedures,” adds Smith.

Brighton City Airport – previously known as Shoreham Airport – is the oldest continuous licensed airport in the UK and was the base for the first ever commercial flight. It now sees more than 50,000 aircraft movements per year, making it one of the busiest GA airports in Europe.

The airport is fully licensed up to fire category 3 (on remission) and has full Air Traffic Control and instrument approach procedures. It operates one tarmac and three grass runways, as well as six helipads. The airport has a diverse client base including a large commercial pilot training school, pleasure flight companies, flying clubs, charter companies, military, coastguard and police.