France’s Thales (EPA: HO) on July 13 announced that it has won a contract from the National Civil Aviation Center (NCAC) of Mongolia to modernise the country’s air traffic management infrastructure.

The project, outlined in a press release, will support the deployment of next-generation dual Area Control Center (ACC) architecture in Mongolia, said Thales.

It added: “Under this contract, Thales will deliver the advanced air traffic control automation systems for both centers — modernising the existing ACC in Ulaanbaatar and equipping the new ACC to be established in Sainshand.”

Through the provision of the state-of-the-art ATC systems, the project, said Thales, is set to significantly enhance:

• Operational resilience and system redundancy
• Airspace capacity and operational performance
• Cybersecurity of critical infrastructure
• Long-term sustainability through structured skills development.

“This project illustrates the strength of cooperation between France and Mongolia in advancing safe and efficient global aviation. By combining advanced air traffic management technologies, robust cybersecurity capabilities and comprehensive skills transfer alongside École Nationale de l'Aviation Civile, we are delivering more than infrastructure – we are helping build sustainable operational excellence,” said​ Youzec Kurp, vice president, airspace mobility solutions, at Thales.

Beyond the deployment of advanced technology, the programme, said Thales, will place strong emphasis on human capital development.

ENAC (Ecole Nationale de l'Aviation Civile) “will support the strengthening of local capabilities, with instructors deployed in Ulaanbaatar and Mongolian professionals receiving advanced training in Toulouse (France). Additionally, as cyber threats continue to rise globally – particularly across critical aviation infrastructure – the programme includes a dedicated suite of cybersecurity services, training and advisory support to strengthen Mongolia’s long-term cyber resilience and operational readiness,” the company added.

The project is backed by a flexible financing solution established between Bpi France and the Trade and Development Bank of Mongolia (TDBM), Thales added.

Thales has more than 85,000 employees in 65 countries. In 2025, it generated sales of €22.1bn.