I-Airbus yenze ngempumelelo uhambo lokuqala olusekelwe embonweni oluzenzakalelayo kusetshenziswa i Airbus Indiza yokuhlola umndeni ku Isikhumulo sezindiza saseToulouse-Blagnac. Ithimba elivivinya elihlanganisa abashayeli bezindiza ababili, onjiniyela ababili bokuhlola indiza kanye nonjiniyela wendiza ovivinya basuke ekuqaleni ngehora le-10h15 mhla ziyi-18 kuZibandlela futhi bathatha isamba sokusuka esiyisi-8 esikhathini esingamahora amane nesigamu.
“Indiza yenze njengoba bekulindelekile phakathi nalezi zivivinyo eziyingqophamlando. Ngesikhathi siqedela ukuqondisa kumgwaqo wezindiza, silinde imvume yokulawulwa kwezindiza, saxoxisana nomshayeli wendiza,” kusho uKaputeni we-Airbus Test Pilot Yann Beaufils. “Sihambise ama-throttle levers endaweni lapho isuka khona futhi saqapha indiza. Iqale ukunyakaza futhi isheshise ngokuzenzakalelayo igcina ulayini ophakathi nendawo, ngesivinini esiqondile sokuzungeza njengoba sifakiwe ohlelweni. Ikhala lendiza laqala ukuphakama ngokuzenzakalelayo ukuze lithathe inani elilindelekile lokusuka futhi ngemva kwemizuzwana embalwa sase sihamba emoyeni.”
Kunokuthembela ku-Instrument Landing System (ILS), ubuchwepheshe bempahla yaphansi obukhona njengamanje obusetshenziswa izindiza zabagibeli ezisebenza ezikhumulweni zezindiza emhlabeni jikelele lapho ubuchwepheshe bukhona, lokhu kusuka okuzenzakalelayo kunikwe amandla ubuchwepheshe bokubona isithombe obufakwe ngqo indiza.
Ukusuka ngokuzenzakalelayo kuyingqopha-mlando kuphrojekthi ye-Airbus' Autonomous Taxi, Take-Off & Landing (ATTOL). Eyethulwe ngoJuni 2018, i-ATTOL ingomunye wababonisi bezindiza bezobuchwepheshe abahlolwa yi-Airbus ukuze baqonde umthelela wokuzimela ezindizeni. Izinyathelo ezilandelayo kuphrojekthi zizobona ukulandelana kwetekisi okuzenzakalelayo okusekelwe embonweni kanye nokufika kwenzeka maphakathi no-2020.
Umgomo we-Airbus awukona ukuqhubekela phambili ngokuzibusa njengento ehloswe yona ngokwayo, kodwa kunalokho ukuhlola ubuchwepheshe obuzimele buhambisana nezinye izinto ezintsha ezindaweni ezifana nempahla, ukufakwa kukagesi kanye nokuxhumana. Ngokwenza kanjalo, i-Airbus iyakwazi ukuhlaziya amandla alobu buchwepheshe ekubhekaneni nezinselele ezibalulekile zezimboni zakusasa, okuhlanganisa nokwenza ngcono ukuphathwa kwethrafikhi yezindiza, ukubhekana nokushoda kwezindiza kanye nokuthuthukisa imisebenzi yesikhathi esizayo. Ngesikhathi esifanayo i-Airbus isebenzisa la mathuba ukuze ithuthukise ukuphepha kwezindiza kuyilapho iqinisekisa ukuthi amazinga anamuhla angakaze abonwe ayagcinwa.
Ukuze ubuchwepheshe bokuzimela buthuthukise ukusebenza kwendiza kanye nokusebenza kwendiza kukonke, abashayeli bezindiza bazohlala basemongweni wokusebenza. Ubuchwepheshe bokuzimela bubalulekile ekusekeleni abashayeli bezindiza, okubenza bakwazi ukugxila kancane ekusebenzeni kwezindiza futhi nakakhulu ekuthathweni kwezinqumo zamasu kanye nokuphathwa kwenjongo.
