Towards a Single European Sky

Citation

(2007), "Towards a Single European Sky", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 79 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2007.12779baf.006

Towards a Single European Sky

Towards a Single European Sky

Airbus has a leading role in a ground- breaking pan-European project, Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research (SESAR), which will define what is required for a new more cost- efficient Europe-wide ATM system ensuring world-wide interoperability. The project was launched in March 2006 with a pledge to deliver a standard, effective and technologically- advanced ATM system for Europe by 2020.

According to initial analysis, European air space is congested and is stretched close to it limits. Faced with projected increasing passenger numbers in Europe, expected to triple by 2020, changes will need to be made to the current ATM system so it can deal with this increase in traffic, as well as simultaneously improving safety and the environmental impact of aviation.

To cope with the projected increase in traffic, a new Europe-wide ATM system that ensures world-wide interoperability will be required. Today, the control of European air space is fragmented, with every nation having its own ATM system governed by its own laws and regulations. Each time an airline flies into an airspace, it pays route charges, often at differing levels, to the authorities monitoring that area. Technologies and systems used to monitor the sky can also differ widely from country to country.

The next step for SESAR is to move on to define how Europe's aviation industry wants its single sky to perform and what its common objectives should be. Over the next 18 months, SESAR will analyse the European aviation market, assess the performance requirements for the single sky and identify what is needed to create an integrated ATM architecture, whilst ensuring the highest safety standards. It will also identify which technologies and systems will be appropriate. All conclusions will be integrated into the SESAR master plan, a document that will be available by 2008 and that will form the basis for subsequent development and implementation.

Airbus is a member of the project's management body Air Traffic Alliance (ATA). ATA brings together Airbus, EADS and Thales to manage its day-to- day operation, while some 50 companies and associations are also actively participating including airlines Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, Iberia and associated organisations such as International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the European agency Eurocontrol. In addition, Airbus is supplying its technical expertise to ensure the future ATM system is as efficient as it can be.