SESAR incorporates unique public-private partnership to modernise European sky
The SESAR programme is the technological answer to the major challenges of Europe’s air traffic management. The aim of the SESAR Joint Undertaking is to ensure the modernisation of the European air traffic management system by coordinating and concentrating all relevant research and development efforts in the Community. Partnership, sustainability and user-drive are key concepts of the SESAR Joint Undertaking approach. Founded by the European Community and by EUROCONTROL, fifteen industries have already been pre-selected to join the Sesar joint undertaking: AENA, Airbus, Alenia Aeronautica, DFS, DSNA, ENAV, Frequentis, INDRA, NATS, NORACON, SEAC, SELEX Sistemi Integrati and Thales; also including the non-EU companies Honeywell (US) and Natmig (Norway).
The SESAR programme came to life with the acknowledgment that Europe’s current air traffic control systems will soon be unable to cope with the growth in flight movements, the number of which will double by 2030. In 2007, about 10 million flights were registered, whilst the most likely scenario in the Eurocontrol report “Challenges of Growth” predicts an average growth of 2.7% a year between now and 2030; i.e. 20.4 million flights by 2030[1]. At the same time, environmental awareness is rising – prompting the need for more efficient operations and better technology. The EU’s Single European Sky legislation has taken jurisdiction over air traffic management issues to Community level in a drive to coordinate the – critically needed – upgrade of European ATM systems.
Main conceptual change in a modernised sky: the business trajectory
Key to the SESAR concept is the “business trajectory principle” according to which the users and controllers of the airspace define together, through a collaborative process, the optimal flight path. Compared with today’s way of managing aircraft, SESAR represents a paradigm shift, attained in clear steps. We will change the way we manage air traffic: no more skyways, just the most efficient trajectory – saving fuel and time.
The features of the SESAR concept include a dynamic rolling plan for continuous flight operations that ensures a common view of the network situation; full integration of airport operations as part of ATM and of the planning process; optimal trajectory management; new aircraft separation modes and system-wide information sharing.
A label for SESAR-operating airlines, airports, manufacturers and air navigation service providers
Before the end of 2009, the SESAR Joint Undertaking will officially launch the “SESAR Label”. This will be an opportunity for all airspace users to integrate the SESAR concept of operations into their way of working. Being SESAR-labelled, air transport industry operators will demonstrate that they take on responsibility and that they are already contributing to the improvement of their flight operations.
There are tremendous projects such as for instance SWIM. The System Wide Information Management - also called ATM intranet - will allow airlines to better manage their fleet and to gain time and money thanks to forward-looking information on the exact positioning of their aircraft and their precise arrival times. Furthermore, controllers and pilots will be assisted by new automated functions which will facilitate their communications and their handling of complex decision-making processes.
More info can be found at http://www.sesarju.eu
References:
http://www.sesarju.eu/public/subsite_ho ... epage.html
http://tinyurl.com/5v9tev
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Press release from the E.U. - 08/12/2008
optimal flight path: European Union starts SESAR
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