Industry group to co-ordinate upgrade of European ATM

The modernisation of European airspace has taken a major step forward with the appointment of a unique aviation industry partnership to co-ordinate and synchronise €3bn worth of upgrades to the continent’s air traffic management infrastructure.

The European Commission has tasked the SESAR Deployment Alliance, a cross-industry partnership made up of four airline groups (namely Air France-KLM, easyJet, International Airlines Group and Lufthansa Group), 25 airport operators and 11 air traffic control providers, to plan and co-ordinate a wholesale modernisation of European airspace.

Speaking about the new partnership, the European Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc, said: “Today’s agreement is a great achievement for EU aviation, forever changing Europe’s air navigation system, making it smarter, cheaper, greener and safer. It also marks an important step towards the accomplishment of the Single European Sky. These projects will translate into economic benefits for the whole EU with a contribution of over €400bn to its GDP, the creation of over 300,000 new jobs and saving 50 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions.”

The SESAR deployment manager will ensure that new technologies and solutions that have already been tested and validated through the SESAR Joint Undertaking are delivered into everyday operations across Europe, delivering significant benefits to airspace users and the environment. The SESAR Deployment Alliance will act as deployment manager for an initial six-year period.