Joint Undertaking Components Shown At ATC Global
Conference
The SESAR Joint Undertaking is presenting the first components
of the future European ATM system at the biggest international Air
Traffic Management exhibition, ATC Global Exhibition and Conference
in Amsterdam. The aim of this first SESAR Release is to group
projects and validation exercises and to start delivering together
with the 49 SESAR members and associate partners tangible results
at a pre-industrialisation stage as of this year.
"SESAR is set to modernize air traffic management in Europe.
Recent projections predict for Europe a doubling of flights by 2030
compared to 2009 levels. This equals 16.9 million movements;
everybody knows that the current air traffic management system
cannot cope with such an increase. SESAR is prepared to address
this challenge by presenting first benefits for the aviation
community this year, just as planned," says Patrick Ky, Executive
Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking during the SESAR Forum at
ATC Global 2011.
With the commitment of the private and public partners involved
in the work program, SESAR will deliver results through periodic
releases. The first SESAR Release is the outcome of a thorough
status review of the approximately 300 SESAR projects to see where
early results can be achieved to quicker serve the aviation world.
Projects which are included in the 2011 Release will have been
verified and validated in an operational environment to allow for a
decision on industrialisation and subsequent deployment. With the
first SESAR Release, the European ATM modernization program reveals
initial components of the future European ATM system. The
validation exercises will cover the areas of efficient and green
terminal airspace operations, the initial 4D trajectory, end to end
traffic synchronisation, as well as integrated and collaborative
network management. Concrete benefits will be achieved for
airlines, pilots, airports, air traffic controllers, passengers and
the environment.
Through simulations, prototypes, shadow mode or live and flight
trials, the SESAR members will perform 29 validation exercises all
over Europe, the first of which have already taken place in
February. Some examples are:
- DSNA together with Airbus, Eurocontrol and NATS experts
conducts validation exercises on the generalisation of Auto Pilot /
Flight Director TCAS (AP/FD TCAS). The upgraded mid-air collision
tool aims to support pilots through an automated solution and will
contribute to further improving aviation safety.
- SESAR member NORACON - a consortium consisting of eight air
navigation service providers - performs ATC services at
Ängelholm airport from a remote site with a pre-industrial
remote tower prototype. Remote tower technology allows air traffic
at small or medium-sized airports to be managed and controlled
remotely from a single, larger air traffic services centre.
- NATS carries out new approach procedures using satellite
technology at Southampton airport to further increase safety of
aircraft operations, to reduce the number of disruptions due to
poor weather conditions and to increase the cost-effectiveness of
approach operations.
- Eurocontrol, LFV and Airbus confirm through flight trials
procedures for Controlled Time of Arrival features exchanged
between aircraft and ground using initial 4D capabilities. The
prototype and procedures will allow air traffic controllers and
pilots to share the same information of a flight and will enhance
datalink services supporting the 4D trajectory.
"While the first validation exercises for Release 1 are just
being conducted, we have already started preparing for the 2012
Release. The 2,000 staff involved in the SESAR program are keen to
deliver periodic results," Ky said.
The next Release will build on the 2011 activities and will
include more developed 4D features. Data exchange will continue to
be developed to further improve the synchronisation between the
airborne and ground flight profiles while activities will be
performed at airports to improve surface management and runway
throughput. In the terminal airspace area efforts will concentrate
on advanced Continuous Descent Approaches and Continuous Climb
Departures to further increase efficiency and lower the
environmental impact. Certainly, the SESAR Release 2012 will also
contain elements for better end-to-end traffic management.