atm research & development - eurocontrol · opment than air traffic management (atm), which is...

SESAR

Skyway is a quarterly publication of the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, EUROCONTROLVolume 10, Number 40, Spring 2006

ATM Research & Development

SESARThe roadmap for the future European air traffic management system

Research drives the futureResearch drives the futureInterview with Jan van Doorn, Director of the EUROCONTROLExperimental Centre

ATM Research & Development

Skyway Magazine is a EUROCONTROL publication. Articles appearing in this magazine do not necessarily reflect EUROCONTROL’s official policy.

Publisher: Víctor M. AguadoManaging Editor: Gerhard StadlerEditor: Lucia [email protected] Editorial Team: Christos Petrou, Jean-Jacques Sauvage Linguistic Advisers: Language Service (DGS/LSEC)Layout: Frédérique FyonPhotography and pre-press coordination:Christian SampouxPrinting: EUROCONTROL Logistics and Support Services, Bureau DGS/LOG

Articles, photographs and letters from readers are welcome. Whilst every care will be taken of material submitted for publication, the Managing Editorregrets that he is unable to accept responsibility for any loss or damage.

EUROCONTROL Website: http://www.eurocontrol.int

3 Editorial

Focus4 New roles for the EUROCONTROL

Experimental Centre

8 Skyway speaks to Jan Van Doorn, the Director of the EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre

11 R&D Governance: preparing the future European ATM system and the support for SESAR

14 Research and validation: the foundation of progress

16 Innovative Research points the way

19 Enhancing the safety of Central Europe’s skies: CRDS – CEATS Research, Development and Simulation Centre

20 Link 2000+: from R&D to implementation

24 En-route controller tools: from R&D to implementation

Review38 GNSS Introduction in the Aviation Sector:

the GIANT project

Datelines41 Global Aeronautical Information Service Congress

42 Europe & USA hold a Joint Seminar on ATM R&D

43 European Research Management comes together in Braunschweig

44 Wake Vortex Workshop

48 Mediterranean Free Flight Final Workshop

50 The EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre holds the first Society and Economics Workshop

54 EUROCONTROL at Maastricht

55 The third meeting of the Steering Committee for ATM Cooperation and Coordination in South-Eastern Europe (ACE)

Report58 Skyway celebrates 10 years

60 Armenia joins EUROCONTROL

67 Farewell to Pierre-Olivier Jeannet!Head of the CFMU Engineering Division

62 Industry News

SESAR64 SESAR Definition Phase work started

66 Visits & Agreements

Stakeholder Forum26 The European Commission’s role in ATM

research

28 Marc Baumgartner, President and CEO of IFATCA, sheds light on the air traffic controller’s perspective on the changing ATM environment

32 ENAV S.p.A.: Regional CNS/ATM R&D and validation cooperation

34 AENA: Research and development effectivenessA personal view

36 New Air Traffic Control System operational in Lithuania.

Contents

3

Dear readers,

Few areas of civil aviation currentlydemand more sustained research and devel-opment than air traffic management (ATM), which is a pivotal concernfor EUROCONTROL.

Planning the huge advances required for the future European ATMsystem can take place only within the spectrum of possibilities openedup by R&D activities and with the cooperation of the entire industry.

Cooperation is what our future is about and is our next big chal-lenge. The Single European Sky ATM Research – SESAR – will requirea great deal of cooperation among the members of the consortium,and at the same time good governance arrangements from the fund-ing partners.

With traffic expected to reach 16 million flights a year by 2020,much more effort is needed in many areas of air traffic management inorder to prevent an increase in delays and to maintain a good safetyrecord.

The SESAR Definition Phase has started. This project will unite theATM stakeholders around a common vision, with the development of aMaster Plan for the creation of the future European ATM system. ThePlan will have to be for a sustainable and high-performance systemwhich all stakeholders can buy into, which is feasible and in which weare ready to invest in order to make it a reality.

Achieving this expectation is a challenge which SESAR must takeup. EUROCONTROL can, however, help the partners in the SESARDefinition Phase by providing valid input into the overall deliberations.The work carried out by our Experimental Centre will be crucial in this.The Centre has been at the hub of ATM research and development forover forty years, supporting projects across Europe and coordinatingR&D efforts at pan-European level.

Cooperative ATM (C-ATM) is one project which has contributed toa better understanding of the medium-term concepts of operations forthe future ATM system in Europe, through the involvement of the majorplayers in our industry, thereby opening the door to future paradigmshifts.

It is now the task of the SESAR consortium to analyse, adopt andimprove the various concepts proposals, including those for C-ATM.

This joint approach to R&D stems from recommendations pub-lished in 2002 by the Performance Review Commission in its fifthPerformance Review Report, which highlighted the fragmented andinefficient nature of European research.

The SESAR programme is a response to this need. SESAR shouldin fact help consolidate the fragmented approach to research by set-ting a common baseline from which to build, and that will provide thenecessary quantum jump in ATM performance.

In addition to performing strongly today, Europe is in fact prepar-ing to face the challenges which will result from the forecast robustgrowth in air traffic over the next twenty years. For this purpose, closecooperation and a common approach to research are absolutelyessential and will continue to be of fundamental importance.

All of us in the industry today have the unique opportunity to moveforward and expect even greater alignment of the R&D programmeswhich will validate the system for the long-term future, catering for sus-tainable air transport growth.

Víctor M. AguadoDirector General

Chers lecteurs,

Peu de domaines de l’aviation civile réclament un effort de recherche-développement aussi soutenu que la gestion du trafic aérien (ATM), activ-ité phare d’EUROCONTROL.

La planification des avancées majeures que requiert le futur systèmeATM européen ne peut se concevoir que dans les limites des possibilitésouvertes par les activités de R-D et nécessite la coopération de l'ensem-ble du secteur.

La coopération sera le maître mot pour l'avenir, et notre prochain granddéfi. Le Programme de recherche ATM dans le cadre du Ciel uniqueeuropéen (SESAR) exigera une coopération étendue entre les membres duconsortium et, dans le même temps, des mécanismes de bonne gouver-nance de la part des partenaires bailleurs de fonds.

Alors que le trafic devrait atteindre les 16 millions de vols par an d’icià 2020, des efforts beaucoup plus soutenus sont nécessaires dans nom-bre de domaines liés à la gestion du trafic aérien, afin de prévenir touteaugmentation des retards et de maintenir la sécurité à un niveau adéquat.

La phase de définition de SESAR a débuté. Ce projet fédérera lespartenaires ATM autour d’une vision commune, avec l'élaboration d’unPlan-cadre pour la création du système ATM européen futur. Ce plan devraviser la mise en place d’un système durable et performant, propre à rallierl’ensemble des partenaires et à offrir toutes les garanties de faisabilité, etdans lequel nous soyons disposés à investir pour qu’il devienne réalité.

La concrétisation de cette ambition est un défi que doit relever SESAR.EUROCONTROL est toutefois en mesure d’aider les partenaires engagésdans la phase de définition de SESAR en apportant des contributions utilesau débat général. Les travaux menés par notre Centre expérimentalrevêtiront une importance cruciale dans ce contexte. Véritable plaque tour-nante de la recherche-développement dans le domaine ATM depuis plusde quarante ans, le Centre expérimental appuie des projets dans toutel’Europe et coordonne les activités de R-D à l’échelon paneuropéen.

L’ATM coopératif (C-ATM) figure au nombre des projets qui ont con-tribué à favoriser une meilleure compréhension des concepts opéra-tionnels à moyen terme du futur système ATM européen, grâce à l’implica-tion des principaux acteurs du secteur, ce qui a ainsi permis d’ouvrir lavoie à de futurs changements radicaux.

Il appartient aujourd’hui au consortium SESAR d’analyser, adopter etaffiner les différents concepts proposés, et notamment celui du C-ATM.

Cette approche conjointe de la R-D découle des recommandations for-mulées, en 2002, par la Commission d’examen des performances dansson cinquième rapport sur l’examen des performances, lequel mettait enévidence la fragmentation et l’inefficacité de la recherche européenne.

Le Programme SESAR s’inscrit en réponse à ce constat. De fait, ildevrait contribuer à réduire l’approche fragmentée de la recherche endéfinissant une plateforme de travail commune, qui permettra d’effectuerle saut quantitatif requis en termes de performances ATM.

L'Europe ne se contente pas d'afficher d'excellents résultats, elle seprépare également à relever les défis que poseront la forte croissanceescomptée du trafic aérien au cours des vingt prochaines années. Dansce contexte, une coopération étroite et une approche commune de larecherche sont absolument vitales et continueront de revêtir une impor-tance fondamentale.

L’ensemble du secteur se voit aujourd’hui offrir une occasion uniqued’aller de l’avant et d’espérer un alignement plus marqué encore des pro-grammes de R-D qui valideront le système envisagé pour le long terme, aubénéfice d’une croissance durable du transport aérien.

Víctor M. AguadoDirector General

Skyway 40 - Spring 2006

EditorialEditorial

The EUROCONTROL ExperimentalCentre (EEC) can trace its origins backto August 1960 and the establishment of the Bureau d'Etudes EUROCONTROLat Paris Orly. An Experimental Unit wascreated in October 1962, and two yearslater construction of the newExperimental Centre started atBrétigny-sur-Orge, to the south of Paris.

The EEC was inaugurated in January1967. Its primary orientation towardssimulation was reflected in its organisa-tion: along with an administrative sec-tion, its four divisions included a scien-tific and mathematical services divi-sion, responsible for software, and anengineering division, responsible forhardware. Both supported the simula-tions and trials division, which wasresponsible for operations.

The emphasis on simulation has per-sisted as successive generations ofequipment have been used toaddress the developing requirementsof air traffic management (ATM).During the 1960s, the Upper AreaControl Centre (UAC) at Maastrichtwas the main focus for work, followedby the KARLDAP system for theKarlsruhe UAC and the SHANDAPsystem for Shannon. In 1970, theEEC's ATC simulator was connectedto the Concorde flight simulator inToulouse in order to investigate theimpact on air traffic control of the newsupersonic airliner.

Continuing simulation work wasaccompanied by a growing number ofstudies addressing new concepts,techniques and equipment. Theyincluded evaluation of the potential forusing commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)equipment for ATC, which became areality in the 1980s with the introductionof new controller working positions, anddevelopment of the associated soft-ware.

The traffic growth of the 1990s and themeasures adopted to handle it, such asthe creation of the Central flowManagement Unit (CFMU), demanded

4

With 40 years of ATM

research behind it,

the EUROCONTROL

Experimental Centre (EEC)

is about to take on a new,

dual role. Having realigned

its own activities in support

of the SESAR programme,

it is leading the other

principal European

research institutes in a

coordinated programme

of supporting work.

FocusNew roles for the

EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre

By BernardFitzsimons,aviation journalist

Focus


a corresponding increase in theCentre's research-and-developmentactivities. The European Air TrafficControl Harmonisation and IntegrationProgramme (EATCHIP) and its succes-sor, the European Air TrafficManagement Programme (EATMP),became the umbrella for much of theCentre's work.

That work was extraordinarily varied. Itcovered everything from air traffic flowmanagement (ATFM) simulations tonew concepts such as satellite naviga-tion, height-keeping validation for thereduced vertical separation minima

(RVSM) and the integration of Mode-Ssecondary surveillance and the air-borne collision avoidance system(ACAS).

Now, however, all the disparatestrands of research are being drawntogether in support of the ambitiousplan to create a Single European Sky(SES).

Focus on 2020

The signature on 22 November 2005of the SESAR Definition Phase con-tract, with its focus on ensuring thatEUROCONTROL is able to cope withthe level of air traffic predicted for2020, marked the start of a new era forthe EEC. Preparations for the transitionhad, however, been under way forsome time.

Pierre Andribet, the EEC's CoreBusiness Manager, says the Centre isin the process of changing from a tra-ditional research establishment with aportfolio of projects in various areas toone whose activities are for the majorpart aligned along a single axis: "Themain change is that we used to inves-tigate technologies and new con-cepts; now we are more concernedwith the operational validation of the2020 ATM system.

"The new orientation stems from recom-mendations published in 2002 by thePerformance Review Commission in itsfifth Performance Review Report(PRR/5), which highlighted the frag-mented and inefficient nature ofEuropean research. The EEC andEurope's aerospace industry, repre-sented by the European Association ofAerospace Industries (AECMA, nowpart of the AeroSpace and DefenceIndustries Association of Europe, orASD) responded by developing a newinitiative which gave rise to the SESARprogramme.

The main objectives of SESAR,Andribet says, are to foster a commit-ment on the part of all ATM stakehold-ers to the achievement of a commongoal, and to ensure the transition fromresearch to the validation, developmentand ultimately implementation of thesystems identified. The DefinitionPhase, which is supported by aEuropean Commission TEN-T grant, is

5

“All the disparate strands of research

are being drawn together in support

of the ambitious plan to create

a Single European Sky”

��

Focus

intended to identify the main compo-nents of the 2020 system and definethe route to development and deploy-ment.

"Our focus is less on technology thanon the operational side, the core busi-ness of ATM – how the controllers andpilots will work together in the futureATM system," Andribet stresses. Theresults may have an impact on thetechnology side, but "analysing thetechnology is not the role of the EEC;the role of the EEC is to develop a safe,efficient and environmentally accept-able operational environment, exploit-ing these technologies."

Managing change

More than three quarters of the Centre's240 staff are engaged in research, sothere has been no need for additionalresearch staff, Andribet says. But themove from a multiplicity of small teamsworking on individual projects in variousdomains to what is effectively a single

team working on one core programmehas required some additional manage-ment expertise. So a handful of seniormanagers have been recruited, includ-ing some from elsewhere in the Agency.

The new work structure has required aparallel cultural change. "The averageproject in the past involved three orfour staff," Andribet says. "Now 80 or90% will be working on the same pro-gramme, so it's not the same mentality,it's not the same culture. That is themain change which we have to imple-ment at the Centre."

The process, Andribet says candidly,has been a painful one. It involved firstdefining the strategy and then commu-nicating it, initially to a layer of middlemanagers: "It's a standard change-management process – organisingworkshops to think together, to win thesupport of the middle management,and after that to communicate to all thestaff, globally to start with and then insmall teams." The communication is atwo-way process, designed to involveas many people as possible in design-ing the work programme. Overall, theprocess will take two years, he esti-mates: "It started 18 months ago andit's blossoming now."

In terms of infrastructure, there hasbeen a move to update the real-timesimulator, with a shift away from theprevious proprietary approach relyingon in-house development. "It was a veryproprietary simulator," Andribetexplains. "That has some advantages,but it lacked realism compared to thereal systems. In the last few years, wehave sub-contracted big componentsto the industry, so we have moved froma very closed, proprietary simulator toan open architecture using compo-nents from industry. This was one the ofthe big changes we had to make,because the real-time simulator is oneof the most important tools for the typeof research we have to do."

6

FocusE

EC

Wor

k P

rog

ram

me

WP1Management

2008 2010 2015 2020

WP2 Short term Deployment

Development Deployment

Innovative R&D Applied research Industrialisation Deployment

WP3 Mid-termvalidation

management

WP4 Long-terminvestigation

WP5 Innovativestudies

WP6 Socio-economic

studies

WP7 Researchenables

Long-term ATM-ACARE driven research

SESAR

Foundation

The EEC work programme is currently organised around seven workpackages which directly support the different phases structuring

the ATM Master Plan to be delivered by SESAR

New roles for theEUROCONTROLExperiemntal Centre


As the change process approachescompletion, Andribet says, there is anew challenge to face: "Now we have todeliver". Work started in March 2006,and the R&D Master Plan and WorkProgramme which it is scheduled toproduce will completely reshape theEuropean landscape for ATM research.At the same time, the EEC will assume anew role in coordinating ATM researchacross Europe.

Episode 3

The Performance Review Commis-sion's 2002 Report identified a lack ofcoordination in European ATMresearch, resulting in redundancy,overlap and too little focus on results. A new project called Episode 3, whichforms part of the EuropeanCommission's Sixth FrameworkProgramme, has offered the opportuni-ty for the EEC to assist the variousnational research establishments toform a more organised and focusednetwork in support of SESAR.

"We will not be managing the work pro-gramme in a dictatorial sense,"Andribet says. "It's collaborative man-agement, but with Brétigny at the cen-tre, so it's a shift in terms of organisa-tion." In the past, the individual centresexchanged ideas and results, but theaim now is to organise their work

around the same programme, namelySESAR.

The precise objectives of Episode 3are:

■ to confirm the target levels of per-formance in the key performanceareas as identified within theSESAR definition phase;

■ to provide evidence of the per-formance of the operational con-cept against these targets;

■ to ensure that the resulting opera-tional concept is “safe in princi-ple”;

■ to provide evidence of the opera-tional and technological viability ofthe resulting target concept;

■ to consolidate and deliver thespecifications of the target opera-tional concept in accordance withvalidation results.

The project involves almost all theplayers of the European research net-work and the ATM supply industryand also ensures the active involve-ment of major operational actors fromEuropean air navigation serviceproviders, airports and airlines.

The EEC expects to establish strongsynergies and cross-fertilisation withSESAR throughout the project life-cycle, and particularly at each of the

five major project milestones, therebyensuring the applicability of its focusand results.

The project has been built to ensureflexibility, incorporating SESAR find-ings as these become available. Thebasic philosophy adopted by Episode3 is to organise validation and assess-ment activities in two iterations, with amajor milestone at the end of the firstiteration. This will serve to consolidatethe results of the first iteration, to refineand amend the target operational con-cept accordingly, and to launch a sec-ond iteration within key Europeanoperational environments for the fur-ther validation of the concept.

"It is a preparation or foundation-build-ing for SESAR, where the EEC is lead-ing the programme in which all theresearch centres and the supplyindustry are partners," Andribet sumsup. "It is the first stage of a rocket thatwill lead to a major integrated pro-gramme of activities where theresearch work programme ultimatelyleads to full deployment and opera-tion. The start of this project makes2006 a real turning-point for us,because we will have to build the net-work of research centres and, togetherwith the supply industry, work towardscommon goals within the same workprogramme." ■ ■

7

M0T0

M1T0+4

M2T0+18

M3T0+22

M4T0+36

Performanceframework

&validationplanning

Cycle 1assessment

resultconsolidation

Revisedvalidationstrategy

&validationplanning

Cycle 2assessment

resultconsolidationfinal report

The Episode 3 project will be scheduled on the basis of a dynamic sequence of five project-levelmilestones, corresponding to major internal and external events, in order to facilitate the monitoring of progress and synchronisation between the various work packages

Episode 3

Interview

We often hear that air trafficmanagement (ATM) researchhas not delivered anything forthe last thirty years despitethe fact that Europe spendsabout €€200 million every yearon it. How do you, as a leadingmember of the ATM researchcommunity, respond to such astatement?

With such a question I am of coursetempted to point to the title of this inter-view: “Research drives the future”.

I can also point to a number of studieswhich all show that investment in R&Dbrings great benefits. The healthiesteconomies are always big R&Dspenders. In the past, there has beenan element of vision behind this, butthese recent studies quote a very pos-itive return on R&D investment. Thenegative element, however, is thatcost-benefit analyses mostly span ahorizon of between five and ten yearsand this tends to create a negativeimage for R&D if much longertimescales are involved, which isindeed the case in the aeronauticalindustry and certainly the extremelysafety-driven ATM part of it.

There are well-known examples whichillustrate that vision is far more impor-tant than cost-benefit analyses. Jet-engine R&D started well before WorldWar II and the US Air Force had evenrejected the concept as being notpromising enough, and look where weare today. Data-link research started inthe eighties but application has onlyjust started on a very limited scale,whereas in exactly the same period theInternet has completely changed thelifestyles of the younger generation. Soalthough we are way behind, the R&Don "the Internet in the sky" is dramati-cally changing the way we organise thetraffic. TCAS1 R&D resulted from a con-gressional decision (or was it a“vision”?). It was pushed ahead in theeighties and has now finally been intro-duced in Europe, making possibleRVSM2 and thus a capacity boosttogether with the necessary safetyboost. But was the RVSM cost-benefitanalysis part of the decision to launchTCAS R&D?

The University of Sussex published aninteresting historical analysis about themajor steps in our industrial revolution.The steam engine, electricity, the com-puter (to name but a few) all have in

common that they went through a twen-ty to thirty year R&D phase, with limitedapplication and focus on developmentbefore they reached maturity.Thereafter there was an explosion ofapplications, which changed the world.

The vision of putting a man on themoon, although probably also inspiredby Cold-War rhetoric, has greatly con-tributed to a faster development ofspace, computer and control technolo-gy. Its economic impact turned out tobe enormous, but I have never seen acost-benefit analysis on it.

Where would we have been in ATMwithout the human/machine research,the tools that came into use, the radarR&D? Elsewhere in this Skyway you willfind other examples of what researchhas delivered and I could fill this issuewith more examples. Do you reallythink that we could handle today's traf-fic with just the simple radar screens ofthe sixties? Everything which camelater and which makes up the ATM sys-tem of today has been preceded byR&D. So I can safely say that I have nofear of cost-benefit analyses, looking atthe past thirty to forty years of ATMR&D.

8

Interview

Jan Van Doorn,

the Director of the EUROCONTROL Experimental Centresince June 2005,who explains howresearch drives the future

Skyway speaks to...

1- Traffic Alertand CollisionAvoidanceSystem

2- ReducedVerticalSeparationMinima


We know that history has anannoying habit of repeatingitself. Is there really anythingnew in the Cooperative AirTraffic Management (C-ATM)concept, and can it reallydeliver the future ATM systemthat Europe needs?

C-ATM3 is of course not a magic silverbullet that solves all problems.Numerous ideas have shaped thethinking. The Performance Review Unitfor example has pointed to the gainsderiving from better and more informa-tion available to all players.

I remember my old friend Klaus Platzfrom the DFS proposing a “layeredplanning concept” back in thenineties, not to mention the EATMP4

Air-Ground Cooperation Programmewhich gave birth to the PETAL trialsand the subsequent Link 2000+ (data-link implementation) Programme. Italso spurred the thinking on CDM5 andSWIM6. So a lot of "C-ATM elements"were already in the air.

The point about C-ATM is that it hasbrought together many stakeholders(who, by the way, are now also workingtogether in the SESAR consortium) indeveloping a medium-term concept ofoperations, which happens to be large-ly aligned with the more long-termoperational concept of the ATM 2000+strategy of the EUROCONTROLOrganisation.

It is a concept that at least has a lot ofsupporters and it opens the door tofuture paradigm shifts. This last point isimportant for me as a researcher butalso for the future of ATM. It anticipatesthe 4-D trajectory concept as an impor-tant enabler for organising traffic, andthe delegation of responsibility for sep-aration to the cockpit as a first step

towards further air-ground cooperation.So it could (if SESAR embraces it eitherfully or in a modified way) represent anintermediate step towards a moreadvanced concept with a larger para-digm shift. Most players (with ACARESRA7 in the lead) do think that such achange is necessary in order to copewith the predicted traffic demand.

Over the past decade Euro-pean ATM research has seenwidely dispersed researchfunding and fragmentedresearch. How will the meas-ures now being put in place inEurope ensure a real focus onthe common European vision?After all, the issue here is alsoone of culture and mind-set.

In the past we had a number of inde-pendent nations in Europe, each capa-ble of having its own aeronauticalindustry competing on the world mar-ket. Gradually the world has evolved inlarger economic entities and it was onlyrecently recognised that Europe shouldtry not only to present itself as a singleeconomic entity but also to create a sin-gle European sky and have, as a singleEuropean entity, common aviationagreements with other comparableentities (USA, Russia, China, etc.).

Moreover, since defence is still largelya national responsibility, aeronautical(and ATM) R&D tends to follow the uni-fication process rather slowly.

The good thing is that this has led tocultural diversity and competitionbetween ideas, which in turn has stim-ulated creativity – an excellent baseline

to build upon for the future, I shouldsay. Using this baseline we must beable now to build a strong united vision.Taking the best of several ideas willmost probably deliver more than single-channel research.

National budgets (an element in thefragmentation) are shrinking. The com-

bined EC-EUROCONTROL R&D pro-gramme encompasses about 80% ofthe European budget for ATM R&D, andthe Joint Programme Board coordinat-ing between the two is really taking off.

Finally, the SESAR Definition Phase haskicked off, hopefully uniting all stake-holders around a common vision andagreed ATM Master Plan. If that situa-tion is reached, the States and the ECwill recognise this historical chance tomove forward and we can expect evengreater alignment of the funding andprogrammes for R&D.

The Experimental Centre so-wed the seed of the ATM MasterPlan, which was the catalyst forSESAR. How is the Centrepreparing itself to take on therole of leader and manager ofATM research in Europe?

The EC is pushing for less fragmenta-tion in Europe. So the trend is towardsmore focus and centrally-led develop-ment making use of the strong multicul-tural creativity of Europe.

In such an environment, somebody hasto be the conductor of the orchestra (I like to use this metaphor) in order tocreate a harmonised tune.

9

“The C-ATM concept opensthe door to future paradigm shifts”

3- Cooperative Air Traffic Manage-ment (C-ATM) is aresearch project forthe air transport industry that targets deploymentfrom 2012.Sponsored by the EC and EUROCONTROL,its prime objectiveis to contribute to improved safety, maximumuse of availablecapacity in all weather conditions,the creation ofadditional capacity,and an increase inefficiency of airtraffic managementprocesses. In accordance withthe ATM MasterPlan initiative, newtechnologies andsystems will bemoved into a coherent and integrated mode ofoperation towardsan operationalconcept for theforthcoming years.

4- European Air TrafficManagementProgramme

5- CollaborativeDecision Making

6- System-WideInformationManagement

7- AdvisoryCouncil forAeronauticsResearch in Europe(ACARE) strategicResearch Agenda(SRA)

��

Interview

I see the various research entities inEurope as specialists, becoming cen-tres of expertise in limited areas of theATM R&D field, like the different instru-ments in the orchestra. In my opinion,which is supported by the EC, the EEChas a central position and is this natural"conductor". We have the size and thequality to perform this task.

It will, however, mean a role change.The Centre will do less R&D, but will bemore involved in coordinating, federat-ing and managing the work spread outbetween the different centres of expert-ise in Europe. So we have to rebuildand expand our current networkof research entities in Europe,where the focus is on appliedresearch, and also embraceuniversities, where the focus ison innovative research. This isan indication of the direction inwhich we are going.

How does Europe get out ofthe comfort zone of short- andmedium-term research andmove over to the real chal-lenge of long-term research?Despite the pioneering workof ACARE, real funding andplanning of long-term re-search seems to be strangelyabsent in all the SESAReuphoria.

I am not at all surprised or annoyed bythe direction that SESAR is taking. Afterall, the underlying thought was that weneed an agreed deployment masterplan on which to "graft" the research. Aslong as SESAR is willing to open thedoor to the future, I foresee no problem.I cannot honestly imagine that the con-sortium will close that door. IndeedACARE has already pointed to the chal-lenges ahead: pilot-less freightersbased on further development of

unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), andthe growing concern about airportsbecoming the real limiting factor if wedon't foster paradigm changes in airtransport and ATM. I am thinking, how-ever, of the developments in societyover the last twenty years: mobilephones, the Internet, computers every-where! Most of these had never beenforeseen. So I guess the same will hap-pen in our ATM world. We only have tohave the courage to "think outside thebox" – and we will.

To begin with, we don't need big budg-ets. The PHARE8 project (all about 4-D

trajectory concepts) took about €10million per annum, 5-6% of the totalEuropean budget. Ahead of its time inthe nineties, it became the foundingfather for the Boeing concept, the C-ATM concept, and subsequently theSESAR concept. Twenty years on fromthese "brainwaves", we face the chal-lenge of creating new brainwaves forthe 2020-2030 time period.

I would therefore advocate setting upthink-tanks, brainstorming sessions or"red and blue" teams using small budg-ets just to stimulate "out-of-the-box"thinking. We would then have to pio-neer a number of the ideas to seewhich ones can be matured and havepotential.

Finally, as an experiencedmember of the research com-munity you must have somethoughts about future direc-tion. What do you see as being

the big concept challenges forthe air transport system andwho are likely to be the mainplayers in pushing these chal-lenges forward?

Although flattered by the word experi-enced, I must confess that I don'tbelieve too much in it. I believe youngpeople are the best innovators.Experienced people tend to beweighed down by their experience andtend to see too many pitfalls to createrevolutions; and we need a revolution,implemented in an evolutionary way. SoI am the wrong person to answer your

question. However, I cannot ofcourse resist the temptation tospeculate a little bit.

Humans are not strong in tacticalactions, they are better in strate-gic thinking and creative deci-sion-making, even if they do not

always know exactly how and why, theydo find a solution. So leave the tactical,repetitive elements to the machines.

Especially in the more steady phases offlight, the machines on the aircraft,managed by the pilots, will do the job.The controllers will be more necessaryin the transitional flight phases but also in more planning and system-managing roles.

We will see a move from single aircraftcontrol to creating fleets that will be con-trolled, and individual aircraft will be vis-ible only when they enter or leave theformation. We will see specialised "high-ways", comparable with TGVs, for high-density transport. Further in the future,in the second half of this century, I couldenvisage what I describe as "cruisers",large aircraft that constantly circle theearth in certain patterns, which you canenter with your personal small craft via adocking procedure in the air. ■ ■

10

Interview

“We face the challenge of creating new brainwaves for the 2020-2030 time period”

Skyway speaks to Jan Van Doorn,the Director of the EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre

8- Programme forHarmonised ATMResearch inEUROCONTROL


Such a link needs to be improved inorder to make research an effectiveinstrument supporting the modernisa-tion of the European air traffic manage-ment system. This aspect is closelyconnected to the issue of governancein ATM R&D. Advances made in the lastfew years in this respect have beenconsiderable and a practical structureis now in place – ready to foster theR&D part of the ATM Master Plan.

The main aspects to be taken into con-sideration are:

■ R&D needs: what has to be validat-ed; a dialogue between planners,operators and researchers is vital,based on the understanding of theproblems to be solved;

■ the observation of ongoing activitiesand progress; how the needs are met;

■ the exploitation of accumulatedknowledge; to prevent experiencebeing lost, but also to exchange,compare and supplement experi-ences;

■ the process and guidelines for proj-ects; dissemination and consistentuse of good practices;

■ the budgets and their availability;levels commensurate to the prob-lems to be addressed, balancedcontribution of the different stake-holders;

■ the research teams; develop, main-tain and exploit competences; whois best suited?

■ the cohesion and completeness ofthe programmes;

■ some room left for innovation.

It is worth recalling how these aspectshave been addressed through a num-ber of initiatives, which all contributedto the current approach.

Twenty years of R&Dcoordination

It was only in the mid-80s thatEuropean ATM R&D establishments gottogether to exchange information ontheir respective programmes andenvisaged a common approach.PHARE, the Programme forHarmonised ATM Research in EURO-

CONTROL, was launched in 1988 withthe ambition of demonstrating the ben-efits of exploiting Flight ManagementSystems’ (FMS) four-dimensional tra-jectory data, using experimental air-craft and ground simulators.

In the context of the 4th FrameworkProgramme, the European Commission(EC) organised its internal coordination(ECARDA: European CoordinatedApproach of R&D in ATM) and took theopportunity to invite Member Statesand EUROCONTROL to join in andshare R&D project information.However, the idea of a common planwas not mature enough at the time andthe EC was not provided with informa-tion relating to national programmes.

Subsequently, in the mid-90s, the EURO-CONTROL ATM R&D Review Groupmade a similar attempt, proposing aseries of documents addressing some ofthe above aspects (yellow book: strategy;blue book: management and coordina-tion mechanisms; green book: status ofprojects; red book: EUROCONTROLR&D work plan). However, this advisorygroup was not involved in the discussionson implementation planning and it wastherefore difficult to formulate or imple-ment any recommendations in theabsence of a formal process.

11

FocusFocus

R&D GovernancePreparing the futureEuropean ATM system andthe support for SESAR

All air traffic management(ATM) stakeholders recognise the need for an efficient link betweenresearch and implementa-tion. ATM research hassuffered from the fragmen-ted stakeholder community.More specifically it hasbeen difficult for resear-chers to be advised on the actual issues to beresolved, and for decisionmakers to draw conclu-sions on the implementa-tion of good research findings.

By Bo Redeborn, Director Air Traffic Management Strategies

��

Focus

ARDEP1 was set up shortly afterwardsto monitor ATM R&D. As a result wenow have over ten years' worth ofrecords covering R&D projects. In par-allel, and in synergy with projects fromthe 5th Framework Programme,progress was made towards the defini-tion of common understanding,methodologies and guidelines for vali-dation, recognising that one of the mainobjectives of R&D is to help decision-making through structured reasoning.

Master plan genesis

This was also the time when initial ideason the need for reinforced links betweenATM and the rest of the aeronautics andsupply industry were formulated.

In 2000-2001, a net acceleration was per-ceived with the publication of theATM2000+ Strategy, the work of the High-Level Group and Vision 2020. Thesecoincided with the start of the EC’s 6thFramework Programme.

Against this background, the Agencytook the opportunity to reinforce the dia-logue with the ATM industry throughAECMA (the European Association ofAerospace Equipment Manufacturers,now ASD – Aerospace and Defence) andseek better alignment of the projects with-in the 6th Framework, in line with itsEuropean Air Traffic ManagementProgramme (EATMP). At around thesame time the industry, as represented

by the AECMA Board and the StrategicAerospace Review for the 21st century(STAR 21), recognised the need to estab-lish a Master Plan on ATM developmentand investments, as initially proposed inthe Single Sky High-Level Group Reportand in the 2002 5th PRC2 report (See alsoSTAR 21 Report published in 2002).

While the notion of a European MasterPlan was first discussed from an R&Dperspective, it soon became obviousthat it could only make sense in the per-spective of the full life cycle up to imple-mentation in order for the researchefforts to be connected to needs andtherefore able to fill the observed gaps.In this vein, such a Master Plan could beseen as a plan for investment cyclesand their timing, on which industry couldbase its development activities (and air-lines and air navigation serviceproviders their investment plans).

A more formal cooperation body,known as the EUROCONTROL/AECMABilateral Steering Group, began meet-ing in 2002 and focused primarily on:

■ cooperation on the definition of the6th Framework Programme;

■ developing the Master Plan together;■ cooperating on the ACARE SRA3 and

giving support to the ACARE process.

While EUROCONTROL was fostering/supporting the idea of an ATM MasterPlan, the industry, through the continu-ation of the STAR 21 discussions,emphasised budgetary aspects, gen-erated proposals for handling the topicand started to approach the EC. Weworked with them till mid-2003 to pre-pare initial supporting material.

In these preliminary thoughts, it wasdeemed important to stress that all top-ics cannot be addressed in the sameway but differ according to their level of

maturity and the application timescale,and that a limited series of clear steps forchange was necessary in order to com-municate the evolution of ATM, corre-sponding to identifiable products for thedifferent stakeholders. Three notionalstages were identified for the progres-sive implementation of the underlyingoperational concept vision for 2020:

■ 2007 – Foundation: in the shorterterm there is no time to undertakenew research; available optionsneed to be confirmed and thenimplemented;

■ 2012 – Single European Sky deploy-ment: although options have beenidentified for the medium term, theyneed to be the subject of extensivevalidation so as to envisage theirtimely implementation and applica-tion in industry; they require a wellorganised overall plan;

■ 2017 – Collaborative high-perform-ance ATM: in the longer term there isstill time to explore more innovativeoptions, but nevertheless with a viewto narrowing down the alternativesand concentrating on those thatdeserve a more detailed validation.

These stages correspond, from an R&Dperspective, to specific goals, purposes,tools, and ultimately decisions; at least asa means to a simplified message andpicture, and will hopefully make it easierto improve the focus of efforts.

All these ideas have been injected intoSESAR since spring 2004.

12

Focus

“The notion of a European MasterPlan can only make sense in the

perspective of the full life cycle up to implementation in order

for the research effortsto be connected to needs”

R&D GovernancePreparing the future European ATM system and the support for SESAR

1- Analysis ofResearch &Development in EuropeanProgrammes

2- PerformanceReviewCommission

3- AdvisoryCouncil forAeronauticsResearch inEurope –StrategicResearchAgenda


R&D governance

Bearing in mind that the Master Planwill contain an R&D facet, progress hadto be made on its organisational set-up.Two facts acted as principal drivers:

■ the accession of the EuropeanCommunity to EUROCONTROL; theMemorandum of Cooperation ofDecember 2003 between theEuropean Commission and EURO-CONTROL identifies R&D as a prior-ity area for cooperation;

■ the observation that a growingmajority of R&D spending relates toprojects funded by EUROCONTROLand the EC. This gives a leveragemechanism that can greatly facilitatesynergy, and also attract other spon-sors.

The governance structure is based onthe following:

■ a common European research masterplan, integral part of the ATM MasterPlan to be delivered by SESAR;

■ the Joint Programme Board (JPB); ■ the standard use of instruments such

as: ARDEP as a monitor of projects;the Validation Data Repository to storethe objectives and approach of vali-dation projects, as well as the resultsand conclusions of past and currentprojects; the OCVM (OperationalConcept Validation Methodology) andsimilar system engineering methodsthat will be agreed during the SESARDefinition Phase;

■ the coordination of the 7thFramework Programme and theEUROCONTROL research plan,including through the SESAR mech-anisms to be established.

Joint programme board

The Joint Programme Board (JPB) wasset up under the European Commissionand EUROCONTROL Memorandum ofCooperation. The purpose of the JPB isto increase cooperation on ongoingresearch and support the implementa-tion of the ATM component of theACARE Strategic Research Agendaand the research part of the EuropeanATM Master Plan by developing a jointapproach to ATM research carried outby the European Commission andEUROCONTROL while ensuring com-plementarity, avoidance of duplicationand optimisation of resources.

The JPB comprises representativesfrom the European Commission (DGTransport & Energy and DG Research)and the EUROCONTROL Agency(Headquarters and ExperimentalCentre).

It coordinates ATM research and tech-nological development at the EuropeanCommission and the EUROCONTROLAgency. It will propose priorities to thedecision-making bodies at the EC andEUROCONTROL and will consult withstakeholders. The JPB has met sinceOctober 2004, holding four meetings ayear.

R&D coordination and SESAR

The R&D Master Plan is an integralpart of the European ATM MasterPlan. It will, for the first time, assem-ble a comprehensive picture of whathas to be done to validate the futureATM system. Its integration in theoverall plan will also ensure thatdevelopment and implementationneeds are supported by timely, rele-vant research, and that R&D resultsare fed directly back into the planitself.

Applied in the full SESAR Programme,this will:

■ bridge the gap between R&D andimplementation through a betterreality check and a better couplingof implementation planning andR&D planning;

■ be instrumental to harmonise theawareness of the various stakehold-ers, maximising the use of availableknowledge and speeding up deci-sion-making;

■ have a positive impact on the coor-dination, organisation, executionand effectiveness of R&D as a pre-cursor to implementation, as well ason Europe's ability to reinforce itshuman and technical researchpotential.

In conclusion, we are at a turning pointfor ATM. European ATM R&D has themission and the capability to accompa-ny that change. However, it will need toadapt itself to the evolving context aswell as to the challenges facing theATM system. ■ ■

13

“The R&D Master Plan will, for thefirst time, assemble a comprehensivepicture of what has to be done tovalidate the future ATM system”

Focus

Introduction

A quick journey through the history of airtraffic management in Europe shows thatsignificant improvements have alwaysbeen based on the results of continuousresearch.

The founding fathers of the EURO-CONTROL Organisation in the late 1950swere already aware of this. On 15 April1960 the third report by the EURO-CONTROL Technical Working Group(representing Belgium, France, Ireland,Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany,and the United Kingdom and chaired byRené Bulin), which proposed the creationof the EUROCONTROL Agency, speci-fied that it would start with a transitionalphase involving the implementation of aPlanning Directorate and an Experi-men-tal Unit. The mission of this Unit isdescribed in the report: An adequatelyequipped experimental unit whose dutiesconsist in evaluating techniques prior totheir integration into the EUROCONTROLATC system should be made available forthis Planning Directorate.

And indeed, most of the new concepts,tools and facilities that have been imple-mented over the last 50 years came frominnovative ideas or from the use of newtechnologies which could be adapted toimprove ATM. They have been devel-oped and evaluated through detailedapplied research, and their implementa-tion could only be achieved safely andefficiently after a validation process,

European ATC systems, helping man-agers to organise their operations, selectthe best options and validate their imple-mentation plans.

On a more general level, intensiveresearch led to improvements in themethods and tools used by controllers. Tolist but a few: validation of radar data,multi-radar tracking, navigation accuracy,coordination methods, aircraft trajectoryprediction, conflict detection, air-grounddata link, and satellite navigation, were allstudied in detail by the EEC in partner-ship with its stakeholders. The results,published in multiple reports over thepast four decades, provided a solid basisfor the corresponding implementationprogrammes.

Studies on forecasting and predictabilitywere also carried out, starting in the late1970s. They were further developed atthe beginning of the 1980s and providedan important input to the implementationof air traffic flow management. The devel-opment of the EUROCONTROL CentralData Base, which eventually became theCentral Flow Management Unit (CFMU),received (and still receives) ongoing sup-port in the form of the research and vali-dation being carried out at theExperimental Centre.

Three typical cases

For a better understanding of these con-tributions, let us consider three typicalcases in a little more detail: the controllerworking position, Reduced VerticalSeparation Minima (RVSM) and theFuture ATM Profile (FAP).

14

By Didier Arroyo,EEC Director’sOffice

which was at times lengthy but alwaysindispensable.

Some historical examples

All areas of ATM provide examples of thisprocess.

Operational ATC centres have madeextensive use of results from appliedresearch and validation, in particular byrunning the real-time and fast-time simulators at the EUROCONTROLExperimental Centre (EEC), and this ofcourse also applied to the centres devel-oped by EUROCONTROL.

The very first EEC report, published inFebruary 1963 (one month before theConvention officially came into force),showed the results of the simulation trialsof EUROCONTROL Sector 3, Brussels,which had been implemented in partner-ship with the Experimental Unit of theUK’s Air Traffic Services. This was the firstcontribution to the development andimplementation of the Maastricht UpperArea Control Centre, and was certainlynot the last.

Other contributions have included notonly studies into the operational organi-sation of the future Centre, but also thevalidation of the use of remote radar dataand new technical tools, as well as evalu-ation of the future system and its plannedcapacity. The Karlsruhe and ShannonUpper Area Control Centres also benefit-ed from studies and simulations run at theEEC throughout all their developmentphases.

In fact, research and validation were nec-essary for the development of all ATCcentres, not only those developed byEUROCONTROL. In partnership with itsstakeholders, the Centre has carried outstudies and simulations for almost all

Focus

Research and validation:The foundation of progress


One of the most important ATCresearch areas studied in depth at theEEC, as well as at other research cen-tres, has always been the human fac-tors domain, in particular the man-machine interface. In this context, thepotential use of new technology, devel-oped mainly in the IT (InformationTechnology) domain for the ATC envi-ronment, was explored in the late1970s and 1980s. Several EEC reportswere published evaluating the new dis-plays, and in particular the use ofcolour coding for ATC data. Continuousdevelopment in this area and intensecooperation with other research cen-tres in Europe and North America led tothe development of the ODID(Operational Display and Input Device)programme in the late 1980s. After thedevelopment and evaluation of severalgenerations of prototype ODID dis-plays, this concept has now becomethe de facto standard at all modernATC centres.

Studies on navigational accuracy havealso run parallel to the history of theEUROCONTROL Agency. EEC reportNo. 2, published in March 1965, is enti-tled (in French): “Détermination desperformances du système de naviga-tion HARCO1”. In October 1972, EECReport No. 59 was published: “Effectof variation of Radar SeparationMinima on the number of potential

infringements”. The idea of possiblyreducing separation minima as ameans to increase capacity was fol-lowed by many studies on navigationalaccuracy and aircraft height-keepingstability, as well as those on the qualityand reliability of radar data provided tothe controller. The results of these stud-ies, together with those carried out byother research centres in Europe, pro-vided a firm basis on which to launchthe RVSM programme. During itsdevelopment phase, the EEC constant-ly contributed to the study and valida-tion of the potential implementationoptions. It did so by running a series ofsimulations, starting with the NAT proj-ect (Northern Atlantic project, EECReport No. 284, July 1995), followedby six large-scale real-time, and sever-al fast-time, simulations for theContinental RVSM programme. Theresults produced were essential for thesafe operational implementation ofRVSM in 2002, recognised as thegreatest improvement in ATC capacityin Europe. Thereafter, several studieswere carried out in particular to assessthe mutual impact of RVSM and TCAS2.

In the 1990s the need for a definition ofhigh-level strategic performance indi-cators emerged and in 1996 the EURO-CONTROL Experimental Centrelaunched the Future ATM Profile (FAP)project. The FAP model determines air

traffic control capacities using theCFMU’s operational data and for everyEuropean air traffic control centre cal-culates the optimum operating pointwhere the best compromise is providedbetween cost of service and cost ofdelays. Initially developed to supportthe Performance Review Unit, FAP hasbecome the main instrument for thepan-European capacity planningprocess established in 1998 to supportthe Director General’s Consultation andAdvisory Groups in strategic ATM plan-ning. It also supports the CFMU withshort-term projections of the effects ofcritical events, such as major trafficchanges and capacity shortfalls, onATFM delays in Europe. Moreover, thisproject shows that the long implemen-tation timescales for ATM research canbe shortened.

What next?

A new challenge faces all Europeanpartners. The objective of the SingleEuropean Sky, as stated by theEuropean Commission, is “to trebleATM capacity, improving safety by afactor of ten, while reducing the envi-ronmental impact by 10%”. This is thevery ambitious goal of SESAR, theSingle European Sky ATM Researchprogramme, whose acronym aloneshows the fundamental importance ofresearch as the key factor for its suc-cess.

With now more than forty years’ experi-ence in research and validation havingcontributed to improving safety andefficiency in ATM, the EUROCONTROLExperimental Centre has realigned itswork programme with SESAR and isready to take on the role of an R&Dmanaging agent, leading the validationof the target concept and ensuring thatthe R&D Programme delivers. ■ ■

15

“More than forty years’ experience in researchand validation have contributed to improving safety and efficiency in ATM”

1- HyperbolicArea andCoverage, an innovativenavigationtechnique proposed in the early1960s

2- Traffic Alertand CollisionAvoidanceSystem

Focus

The technology used in radio broad-casting of frequency-based text identi-ties known as Radio Data Systems(RDS) is already part of life, but apply-ing it to air traffic control was a newidea, indeed an innovative one. An air-craft call sign could be automaticallybroadcast whenever a pilot used hisradio, and that information could bedisplayed on the controller radar inter-face so that controllers would knowwho was talking. Spelling errors couldbe avoided, thus making the systemsafer.

Such an idea is innovative, but innova-tive research doesn’t stop at the levelof the idea. It needs to address all ofthe following questions: How are wegoing to make it happen without creat-ing additional workload for controllersand pilots? What is the best technolo-gy to use? How far can we go with thetechnology? Will there be any otherapplication? Is the application feasi-

ble, not only technically but also oper-ationally and economically?

Innovative research needs to assesswhether the investigation concerns atechnology or a new operational con-cept. As a matter of fact, when Horstarrived at the Centre that day, a shortmeeting was convened to discuss theidea. A week later, Horst identified thewatermarking technology widely usedin media protection as a candidate forthe application. Two weeks later, Horstcontacted a renowned laboratory, theLaboratory for Signal Processing atthe Technical University of Graz,Austria. A visit followed and the EECand Graz University started to worktogether.

Project AIT (Aircraft Identification Tag)was launched. Three months later,industry joined the team in order toimplement the hardware needed toencode and decode the call signs thatwere tagged in VHF radio communica-tions. Testing and validation were car-ried out to demonstrate the feasibilityand identify the limitations of the pro-posed idea. Nine months later, at the

ATC Maastricht exhibition, the teamwon the Innovation Award. Another sixmonths passed before a project wasinitiated at EUROCONTROL Head-quarters to study the operational imple-mentation of AIT.

The story is not yet over. The initial ideahas now been expanded to investigatethe possibility of including position-reporting in the UHF and VHF chan-nels, looking into the possibility foroceanic flights of reporting their posi-tions through frequency channels, andconsequently reducing the separationstandard to less than the current 60nautical miles.

This is a success story for innovativeresearch, but not all studies come to asimilar end and this is the nature ofsuch research.

Innovative research at EUROCONTROL

Established in 2000, the major objec-tive of innovative research has been toundertake experimental studies, theresults of which are designed to help

16

Focus

“It was a rainy day in Paris when

Horst Hering, on his way to the

Experimental Centre, turned on

his car radio and suddenly

focused on the fact that the name

of the radio station was displayed

on the radio console instead of

the frequency.

A new idea went through his

mind: why couldn’t we do the

same for pilot-controller

communications?

What if aircraft call signs were

transmitted in a similar manner?”

Innovative Researchpoints the way

By Prof. Vu Duong,Research AreaManager, InnovativeResearch, EEC


clarify initial ideas for transfer into morefocused research in the framework offuture editions of the ATM R&D MasterPlan. However, innovation is activelypromoted at the EEC and this workpackage ensures that innovative ideasapplicable in the short term are equallymastered and promoted.

The innovative research activities arecomplemented by ample disseminationinitiatives with a view to obtaining max-imum benefit from critical dialoguewithin the ATM community and transfer-ring early feasibility results to strategy,concept development and researchentities within the Agency.

The ExperimentalCentre

At the heart ofEuropean ATM innovative research

The EUROCONTROL InnovativeResearch Annual Workshop has seensubstantial growth in the number of par-ticipants from industry, air traffic serviceproviders, universities, research institu-tions and airlines. This fact testifies tothe federating role of EUROCONTROLin innovative and long-term research.

One key component of this role is theCARE Innovative Research Action,originally created as part of CARE,Collaborative Action for Research inEUROCONTROL, under which innova-

tive ideas to improve air traffic manage-ment, either technology-based or oper-ational-based, are promoted for furtherinvestigation by a partnership accom-panied by expertise and a financialfunding scheme. Average annual fund-ing of € 500,000 is reserved for suchbottom-up innovative investigation.

Leading the long-termresearch network

Air transport in general, and air trafficmanagement in particular, are cross-domain disciplines which requireknowledge from various fundamentaldisciplines such as economics, psy-chology, flight physics, mathematics,and also technological disciplines suchas computer engineering, electronics,telecommunications, etc.

Progress made in ATM often comesfrom operational knowledge and is sup-ported by knowledge and progressmade in other fields. ACARE1, whichrecognises the needs for future-orient-ed backbone thinking, recommendsthe development of a research networkas being instrumental for the future airtransport system. In this perspective,the EEC is working with a network ofacademic and research institutions inorder to establish EUROCONTROLJoint Research Laboratories (JRLs).

As part of the research network, eachlaboratory deals with a specific airtransport topic, and the research inter-ests are shared, with staffing input from

all the partners. The first JRL was cre-ated with the Ecole Pratique desHautes Etudes (EPHE), Sorbonne,Paris, on the subject of complex systemmodelling and cognitive sciences atthe end of 2004. It is co-located at theEEC and at EPHE.

A call for tenders will be issued in 2006to launch two new Joint Research Labs,one on airline and airport operations,the other on human-machine visualisa-tion and interaction technologies.These progressive steps are part of ourapproach towards achieving a key EECstrategic objective – the developmentof an academic network to form thebackbone thinking for the future of ATMin Europe.

Experiments and studies

The major role of the InnovativeResearch Area (INO) at theExperimental Centre has been to com-plement the top-down strategies inEATM and recently SESAR and theACARE Strategic Research Agenda(SRA) through exploratory studiesbased on lateral thinking and a bottom-up approach, and through cooperationwith universities, research institutionsand industry. Study topics are alignedwith the ACARE/SRA perspective inorder to complement identified emer-gent key components of future sys-tems.

17

“A key EEC strategic objective –

the development of an academic

network to form the backbone

thinking for the future of

ATM in Europe”

��

1- AdvisoryCouncil forAeronauticsResearch inEurope

All innovative activities are reviewedand possibly reoriented at the end ofevery year by the Innovative ResearchAdvisory Board, composed of ATMresearch strategists from the EuropeanCommission, EUROCONTROL andexternal scientists.

Through partnerships with universitiesand research institutions, all studies fol-low an experimental validation method-ology, focusing on technical and opera-tional feasibility assessment, in whichthe human safety management role is aprincipal component. Most studies arealigned with topics suggested in theACARE Strategic Research Agenda,such as innovative visualisation tech-niques, highly automated ATM, andtower-less ATM. More than twenty stud-ies, more than half of which constitutedoctoral research, are currently beingconducted and fall into three strategicresearch domains: AdvancedOperational Concepts, EmergentTechnologies for ATM and AnalyticalModelling of ATM Operations.

Advanced Operational Concepts aimsat envisioning and evaluatingadvanced concepts in order to tacklethe continual growth seen as themajor constraint for the future ATMsystem. The main conclusion of thework undertaken in the various fieldsis that the Vision 20202 objectivescannot be achieved unless there is aparadigm shift in the way the air trans-port system is currently conceivedand operated.

Aligned with the ACARE StrategicResearch Agenda, key lines ofresearch include: (i) Future Airport con-cept which may lead to the separationof terminal constraints and runway con-straints, and could result in a new con-cept of networks of airports integratedinto an overall air-rail multi-modal trans-port system; (ii) Synchronous andHighly Automated ATM with studies tar-geting a paradigm shift from the currentsector-based non-synchronous controlto synchronous control with differentapproaches: larger volumes of air-space, city-pair 4D tubes, impacts ofspeed control on the overall ATM, and adual system of 4D contracts in regulat-ed sector-based airspace; and (iii) ATMfor New Vehicles with doctoral studiesto investigate the impacts of and poten-

tial solutions for the growthof small business jets andunmanned automated vehi-cles (UAVs) in the EuropeanATM system.

Emergent Technologies forATM includes investigationsof an experimental and

empirical nature on the application ofemergent technologies to ATM opera-tions, with the ultimate goal of makingimprovements to current ATM systems.In line with ACARE SRA, three majortechnological research themes arebeing investigated: (i) augmented andvirtual reality technologies for ATMvisualisation using 3D stereoscopicand head-mounted see-through dis-plays. Target applications includetower-less control, enhanced visuali-

sation for tower control, and approacharea control; (ii) multi-modal interac-tion technologies with voice, gestureand other input/output devices whichmay allow enhancement of situationalawareness and/or increase controllerproductivity. Current studies includethe extension of digital watermarkingtechnologies in pilot-to-controller VHFcommunications in order to includeposition reports of oceanic flights; andintelligent interfaces for time-basedstrips (VITAL) and dynamic flight leveldisplays (WHEELIE); (iii) security ofvoice, digital, and system communica-tions with non-intrusive but safeencryption technology such as quan-tum encryption and interactive code-changes.

Analytic Modelling of ATM Operationsfocuses on analytical modelling of thenature and operations of ATM with aview to obtaining a better under-standing of the stochastic nature ofATM operations, from ATFM planningto ATC tactical actions. The ultimategoal is to better fill the gap betweenthe predictive components of ATFMand the adaptive components of ATCactions. Two major areas on whichthe research is focusing are: (i)understanding and mastering uncer-tainties through research on modelsto capture the stochastic nature ofATM; and (ii) modelling the holisticATM in terms of complex systemmodelling with the aim of achieving amore scientific foundation for ATMcomponents such as capacity andworkload. ■ ■

18

Innovative Researchpoints the way

FocusFocus

“Vision 2020 objectives cannot be

achieved unless there is a paradigm shift

in the way the air transport system is

currently conceived and operated”

2- EuropeanCommission(2001), “TheFuture of theAir TransportSystem: Vision 2020”. Report of theHigh LevelPersonalityGroup


Thus was born the CEATS Research,Development and Simulation Centre(CRDS). In many ways, the CRDS con-tributed to the entire CEATS Programme.While the CEATS Strategy, Planning andDevelopment Unit (CSPDU), based inPrague, manages the complex techni-cal, operational and contractual imple-mentation of the CEATS work pro-gramme, the CRDS provides the valida-tion simulations and additional improve-ments and innovations to the advancedconcepts on which CEATS depends.

Managed by Philippe Debels, theCEATS Research, Development andSimulation Centre’s small team has threecore functions. First, it carries out ATMsimulations aimed at further improvingand subsequently validating the air-space structure, advanced ATC con-cepts and tools supporting the air trafficcontrollers.

19

FocusFocus

The simulations can be either model-based, where a mathematical modelis used to study the air traffic system,or real-time with the active involve-ment of air traffic controllers from theCEATS States. Both simulations makeuse of traffic samples built on thebasis of the latest STATFOR forecastsand macroscopic traffic flow simula-tions, coordinated with the AirspaceFlow Management and NavigationUnit at EUROCONTROL’s Brusselsheadquarters.

The second core function supportsthe training of future CEATS air trafficcontrollers. It also makes use of thereal-time simulator and focuses onspecific CEATS concepts such asadvanced civil-military coordination,multi-executive sectors and cross-border sectors. In this context, theCRDS works not only with the CSPDUin Prague and the Institute of AirNavigation Services in Luxembourgbut also with the CEATS Regionnational air navigation serviceproviders.

Finally, promising ATM research anddevelopment initiatives are beinglaunched in close cooperation withCentral European universities. Since2001 the CRDS has successfullycoached about 30 PhD or MSc stu-dents from Budapest, Graz, Zilina,Belgrade, Padova, Trieste andDresden. The next objective is to builda network with these universities inorder to foster mobility of researchers,dissemination of knowledge and inter-university cooperation, thereby con-tributing to innovations in ATM.

The CRDS’ reputation for excellence isbeginning to expand beyond the bound-aries of the CEATS States. Simulationsand studies have already been or arebeing conducted not only in support ofthe CEATS Programme, but also forother European projects such as Link2000+ and air navigation serviceproviders in countries such as Slovenia,Hungary, Croatia, Serbia andMontenegro, Norway and Greece.

CRDS maintains a close relationshipwith the EUROCONTROL ExperimentalCentre, which was instrumental in theimplementation of the CRDS and train-ing of its staff. Currently the two centresare looking at further development of thesimulator platform and coordination ofthe research activities of PhD students.

Together with colleagues from theCSPDU in Prague and ATM experts fromthe regional air navigation serviceproviders, and in close cooperation withthe Experimental Centre, the CRDS isworking on a possible contribution toATM validation activities in support ofSESAR and other European projectssuch as Episode 3. ■ ■

When the eight States ofCentral Europe decided topioneer an innovative wayof managing their upperairspace by setting up theCentral European Air TrafficServices (CEATS)Programme, it was clear toall that a crucial element ofsuccess would be accessto the most advancedconcepts and tools that airtraffic management (ATM)could offer – and tailoringthis to the needs of theregion.

Enhancing the safety of Central Europe’s skies

CRDS – CEATS Research,Development and Simulation

Centre

ˇ

Focus

Introduction

Let me start with a simple statementrather than a precise definition."Aircraft and ground systems shouldimplement air-ground data communi-cations and services in order toincrease safety and efficiency in the airtraffic management network"; this isknown as data link.

This statement seems obvious, anddata link has been widely implementedin every walk of modern life for bothbusiness and leisure purposes. Up tonow, however, data link connecting air-craft and ground has not been widelyimplemented in the world of ATM,although it is identified in every majorATM strategy as a key componentrequired for future improvements. Asfar back as 1987, the Future AirNavigation System (FANS/3 Report,Doc. 9503) was approved by the ICAOCouncil. It identified a requirement fordata link in 2010 and beyond. Thisneed was further reinforced by theAgency’s own ATM 2000+ Strategy.

The path to implementation from con-cept and R&D has been long and com-plex, spanning many reorganisations;this article charts the major milestonesalong the way.

The biggest challenge following sys-tem validation has been to convinceaircraft operators and air navigationservice providers to synchronise

investment in order to deploy for mutu-al benefit. This difficulty may in futurebe resolved by means of the SingleEuropean Sky implementing rules. TheEUROCONTROL Regulatory Unit iscurrently developing a data-link imple-menting rule, following a mandatereceived from the EuropeanCommission in May 2005.

What is Link 2000+?

The LINK 2000+ Programme packagesa first set of en-route controller-pilotdata-link-communication (CPDLC)services into a beneficial and afford-able set for implementation. The R&Dhas been carried out, the standardsare stable, the safety case is matureand the business case justifies it.CPDLC is already operational at theEUROCONTROL Upper Area ControlCentre in Maastricht, with roll-outthroughout the LINK region (see Fig. 1)expected by 2011.

Observations on the flight deck and onthe ground show that one in everythree or four communications betweenpilots and controllers needs to be

repeated or is misunderstood. All pilotsand controllers exposed to CPDLCappreciate the benefits: fewer misun-derstandings and reduced workload.

This leads logically to increased safetyand efficiency, and provides extracapacity in the ATM system.

LINK 2000+ "simply" implements threebasic services automating the routinetasks which fill up to 50% of controllers’time today:

■ ATC communications management:to handle repetitive frequencychanges;

■ ATC clearances: to provide stan-dard clearances (e.g. "climb to flightlevel 350");

■ ATC microphone check: to enablecommunication in case of blockedfrequencies.

These services do not replace voice asthe primary means of communication –both media will always be available,thus providing mutual back-up, a defi-nite safety improvement; in case ofnon-standard communications or

20

Focus

By Martin Adnams, LINK 2000+Programme Manager,DAS/SPR

Link 2000+ from R&D to implementation

“The path to implementationfrom concept and R&D has

been long and complex, spanning many reorganisations;

this article charts the majormilestones along the way.”


emergency, "revert to voice" is the pro-cedure.

Before LINK 2000+, other pro-grammes, such as the DynamicManagement of the EuropeanAirspace Network (DMEAN)Programme, will squeeze as muchlatent capacity out of the ATM networkas possible without introducing tech-nological change. However, traditionalmeans of putting extra capacity intothe system are for the short term andwill soon be exhausted; new technolo-gy and tools like CPDLC are urgentlyneeded.

CPDLC is also a prerequisite for fur-ther progress in implementing moreadvanced data-link services, since itprovides key improvements in avionicsand ground system infrastructure. Thetime saved by relieving pilots and con-trollers of routine tasks can be alsoused for new operational functions.After LINK 2000+, other programmes,such as CASCADE1 (and of courseSESAR2), will re-use and update LINK2000+ services and infrastructure.

From R&D to implementation

The road from concept and R&D toimplementation is long and hard in thisindustry. The whole process has takenmore than ten years and has involvedhundreds of people and many millionsof euros. It is now essential to capi-talise on this investment by imple-menting the Programme in a timelymanner.

It is not possible to do justice to theeffort of key individuals or describe allthe projects and activities which havebrought us this far; suffice it to say thatall of the acronyms in Fig. 2 represent

major pieces of work and will berecognised by many.

The ordered life-cycle implied in Fig. 2 isin fact a simplification of reality. A greatdeal of feedback has been requiredbetween the various life-cycle phases,and the lessons learned have beenexchanged between stakeholders. Astrict production-line or "waterfall" approa-ch does not work in an environment whereeach step along the path is new.

Concept and R&DThe concept of the future air navigationsystem was published by ICAO in 1987and was taken further forward in boththe FAA and EUROCONTROL. Theground-breaking work of EURO-CONTROL in ODIAC3 started in 1994and resulted in the publication of theOperational Requirements Document(ORD), which provided the basis formuch of the standards-related worktaken on by ICAO.

21

Validatedstandards

PETALspecs

LINKbaseline

ADSP

SICASPEURATN

VDL M2

ATN Project

PETAL I

PETAL II LINK 2000+

EOLIA

ATIF

SIM

PROATN

AMCP

ODIAC

EATCHIP

EANPG

AEEC

ORD

ATNP

EASIE

FAA

COM Strat

OPS/TECHvalidation

Trialsproducts

1993 1997 1999 2010+

Pre-opproducts

Operationalproof

Implementation

AmericanAirlines

MAAS UAC

EurocaeRTCA

PETAL II

PETAL II

R&Dconcept & requirements

ICAO SARPS& strategies

1990

Fig.2:The long

road fromR&D to

implemen-tation

Fig.1: LINKoverview

1- Cooperative ATS throughSurveillance andCommunicationApplicationsDeployed in ECAC

2- Single EuropeanSky ATM ResearchProgramme

3- OperationalDevelopment ofInitial Air/ Ground DataCommunications

��

Focus

StandardsThe standards comprising the LINK2000+ baseline combine the entire out-put of more than three ICAO panelsspecifying operational, technical anddata-link standards over at least sevenyears (approximately 1990-1997).These were then used to define theinteroperability, safety and perform-ance requirements in EUROCAE4 andRTCA5 between 1999 and 2005.

ValidationThe major projects validating the stan-dards were executed by EURO-CONTROL Headquarters, the Experi-mental Centre and industry. The fundingfor these activities came from the EURO-CONTROL budget, with very significantamounts also being made available fromthe European Commission's Fourth andFifth Framework Research andDevelopment Programmes. The activi-

ties spanned prototyping, laboratorytesting, flight trials, and large-scale andreal-time simulations. The results of thevalidation were fed back into the inter-national standards bodies.

Operational proofand implementation The LINK 2000+ Programme was creat-ed in 1999, following all of the activitiessummarised above and in Figs. 2 and 3.

The final key to kick-starting imple-mentation and LINK 2000+ came fromthe creation and execution of thePETAL Project (Preliminary EURO-CONTROL Test of Air/Ground DataLink). The PETAL Project grew fromcombining successful validation workin both the air traffic services andcommunication domains. For the firsttime, PETAL placed CPDLC servicesat the disposal of air traffic controllers

and aircrew at one of the busiest en-route air traffic control centres inEurope. This constituted the final oper-ational proof that CPDLC was fit forpurpose.

Innovative implementation

The success of LINK 2000+ so far hasbeen made possible by learning les-sons and by taking an innovativeapproach between the traditional endof the validation phase and the tradi-tional wait for mandatory carriage tohappen. In order to break the so-called "chicken-and-egg" or "world-wide-wait" cycle, an unconventionalthree-step approach has been taken.(see Fig. 4)

The pioneer scheme: during thisphase, airlines have been offered lim-ited financial support to join theProgramme early. The target of 100aircraft has been exceeded, with 266aircraft from eight airlines; this numberis growing. The technical risk of joiningearly is removed, since all avionics arepre-tested by the LINK Test Facility atthe EUROCONTROL ExperimentalCentre in Brétigny and by flight trialson an experimental aircraft. Theseactivities are managed by the LINKIntegration Team (LIT). All pioneers aremembers.

The incentives scheme plans tocontinue to increase airborneequipage during the period 2007-2011 in a similar manner to the pioneerscheme, so that early benefits aredelivered to the air navigation serviceproviders implementing LINK. LINKhas worked jointly with experts formthe Central Route Charges Office todefine a scheme proposing some cre-ative approaches to funding, whichshould be finalised by mid-2006.

22

Focus

4- EuropeanOrganisationfor CivilAviationEquipment

5- RadioTechnicalCommissionfor Aeronautics

Concept &requirements

Standards

Operationalvalidation

Technicalvalidation

Operationalproof

Implementation

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

ODIAC operational reqs

ICAO ADSP/Oplink CPDLC Group ODIAC PANSRAC Doc 4444

CPDLCORD

ATM2000+V1

ATM2000+V2

SESARMasterPlan

Safety & performance

EUROCAE/RTCA Interop

DOVE Simulation

LINK Sim1

PETAL II

LINK 2000+ LINK BASELINE

PIONEERS

INCENTIVES

SES IR

LINK Sim2

ICAO SICASP/ATNP ATN

ADS Europe

IACO AMCP VDLM2 AEEC

PETAL 1

EOLIA

PROATNEURATN

VDL M2 Project

ATN project + trials infrastructure

ANSPs

Fig. 3 – A time-line to implementation

Link 2000+ from R&D to implementation


Mandatory carriage is the finalstep. Incentives will be withdrawn twoyears before there is a legal obligationto equip. The proposed instrument tointroduce mandatory implementation isa Single European Sky implementingrule. EUROCONTROL received theinstruction to develop an implementingrule for data-link services from theEuropean Commission in May 2005. Itis currently under development in theRegulatory Unit and is due for deliveryto the Commission by the end of 2006.Once agreed, the implementing rulewill be legally binding and will apply toground implementation by air naviga-

tion service providers and to aircraftoperators.

The LINK Integration Team (LIT)supports this implementation strategy.It is an innovation which was also a crit-ical factor in the success of PETAL. TheIntegration Team consists of committedand contracted stakeholders outsideEUROCONTROL’s standard workingarrangements. The LINK IntegrationTeam took over from the PETALIntegration Team and tackles all imple-mentation issues; it is a one-stop shopsolving aircraft-certification, interoper-ability, safety, technical and internation-

al-standards issues. Operational issuesin LINK are dealt with by stakeholdersin the Operational Focus Group (OFG).

What next?

2006 is an important year for LINK2000+. We will move towards the endof the pioneer phase, finalise the finan-cial-incentives scheme and see theoutcome of the consultation process onthe Single European Sky data-linkimplementing rule. (see Fig. 5)

Beyond LINK 2000+, we are planningto exploit the infrastructure and servic-es deployed by LINK in the CASCADEProgramme. Both LINK and CASCADEbuild towards the accelerated imple-mentation promised by SESAR.

Conclusion

The demand for capacity in theEuropean ATM network is increasing atrecord rates and is outstripping our abil-ity to satisfy this need by traditionalmeans such as re-sectorisation. Newtechniques and methods are needed,however, in order to continue to respondto this ever-increasing demand.

Saturated frequencies and reliance onvoice communications between pilotsand controllers represent a major bot-tleneck in the ATM network. Data linkwill help to relieve the congested fre-quencies and provide a safe and effi-cient second communications channelwhich will put extra capacity into thesystem.

The first package of data-link servicesdesigned for high-density airspace isready for implementation; it will providean essential part of the tool-kit neededto fill the capacity gap. Once it is there,the full potential of data link can beunlocked. ■ ■

23

ACCs&

aircraftnumbers

2000 2007/8 2011 2014

Pioneers

Incentives

Mandatoryimplementation

Fig. 4: Breaking the chicken-and-egg cycle

Fig. 5: LINK timeline

Focus

24

Focus

Time for change

The need for system support tools forair traffic controllers has never beengreater. The forecast growth in air traf-fic, the drive for safety improvements,and cost efficiencies mean that the timeis now right for a greater focus on theimplementation of controller systemsupport to meet the needs of the air-space user. Classical methods of pro-viding operational improvements allhave their finite limits. New initiativesare necessary.

The fundamental tasks, roles, respon-sibilities and working methods of con-trollers have not changed in the lastthirty years. The First ATC SupportTools Implementation (FASTI) Pro-gramme highlights the need for acoordinated implementation andrapid deployment of tools. TheProgramme will address short andmedium-term requirements but willalso enable the introduction of furtherautomation in air traffic control in thelonger term.

In today’s area control centres (ACCs),controllers working in sectors arerequired to perform a number of keytasks, e.g. conflict detection, planning,traffic monitoring and coordination.FASTI aims to support controllers inthese routine tasks through the imple-mentation of:

■ medium-term conflict detection(MTCD), which provides early notifi-cation of potential conflicts betweenflights;

■ monitoring aids (MONA), which pro-vide warnings and reminders onflights;

■ system-supported coordination(SYSCO), which allows screen-to-screen coordination between ACCs.

The Programme advocates a moveaway from today’s reactive way of work-ing to a more proactive approach toATC.

Today’s limitations on the accuracy offlight data and surveillance mean thatcontrollers are forced to take tacticaldecisions in a five to eight-minute win-dow prior to a potential conflictbetween flights. Through the use ofcontroller tools, the sector planninghorizon will be extended up to twentyminutes with increased predictabilityand reduced uncertainty. As a conse-quence, decision-making will beimproved and controller workload peraircraft reduced. This will lead tocapacity, safety and cost-efficiencybenefits.

R&D

The scope of FASTI originates from thefruitful and pioneering work undertakenin the former EATM Automated Supportto ATS (ASA) Programme which spon-sored the research and development ofoperational concepts, requirementsand validation activities. Between 1997and 2000, small-scale real-time simula-tions featuring MTCD, MONA andSYSCO were conducted at the EURO-CONTROL Experimental Centre (EEC).Groups of controllers from over twentyStates were involved in refining the con-cepts and operational procedures.

Between 2002 and 2005, on the basisof an increased level confidence andmaturity of the tools, shadow-mode tri-als of MTCD and MONA involving livetraffic took place at Malmö ACC, RomeACC and Maastricht Upper AreaControl Centre (UAC).

The first trial, held for three weeks withcontrollers from LFV at Malmö, usedthe EEC’s PROVE platform whichenabled the capture of live flight-planand radar data from the host systemand permitted the evaluation of thetools in real time at EUROCONTROLcontroller working positions located inthe operations room. Shadow-mode tri-als were conducted in Rome in part-nership with ENAV during 2003. Amajor first was achieved when, duringthe trial, control of air traffic in theupper airspace over Milan took placefrom the PROVE platform with con-trollers using MTCD to plan separation.

In 2004, trials at Maastricht UAC gavecontrollers the opportunity to conductshadow-mode trials in the Delta Highand Luxembourg sectors. Results fromthis activity have been used to specifyrequirements for Maastricht’s newflight-data processing system.

By Chris Brain,FASTI ProgrammeManager, DAP/SPR

entationEn-route controller tools from R&D to implementation


From R&D to implementation

The positive conclusion of the trials andthe need to focus effort on speeding upimplementation across Europe gaverise to the decision by EUROCONTROLDirectors, supported by the ATM/CNSConsultancy Group (ACG), to launchFASTI in 2005.

FASTI is the newest member of a familyof programmes within EURO-CONTROL’s Directorate of ATMProgrammes – Sector ProductivityBusiness Division. Alongside LINK2000+, Mode S/ACAS and CASCADE, itwill provide operational improvementsthat will fill the gap between those short-term measures delivered by theDynamic Management of the EuropeanAirspace Network (DMEAN) and thestart of more long-term changesexpected from SESAR. Its objective isthe harmonised coordination of theimplementation and deployment of con-troller tools and system support, asrequired, across the 42 States of theEuropean Civil Aviation Conference by2012. Since August 2005, a EURO-CONTROL Agency multi-disciplinaryteam of operational, systems, safety,

human factors, training and businessexperts have been working with stake-holders to achieve this goal.

Working together

In the past, and in parallel, a number ofair navigation service providers haveconducted their own R&D, e.g. DSNAwith its ERATO tool, UK NATS withiFACTS, and DFS with VAFORIT, in theframework of upgrading their ATC sys-tems. The process of moving theseactivities from research into implemen-tation is ongoing at national level, withdeployment expected from 2007onwards. The recognition by FASTI ofthe value of this work and its potentialre-use by the wider European ATMcommunity, in the context of implemen-tation, has been an important aspect inthe setting-up of the Programme.

While replacing complete ATC sys-tems, a number of service providersparticularly in Scandinavia and theBalkan regions, have already imple-mented some FASTI capability. Thesepioneers have learnt valuable lessonsfrom initial operations which are nowbeing taken into account within theProgramme.

Stakeholders and commitment

Over fourteen service providers, indus-try and regulators are actively participat-ing in the FASTI Programme. The prepa-ration of an implementation plan, devel-oping agreed ECIP1 objectives and per-formance targets, is ongoing. Theestablishment of good working relationswith industry is essential, as it has a keyrole to play in upgrading, developingand delivering ATC systems to air navi-gation service providers which meet theobjective of the Programme.

Drive and support

FASTI now acts as the focal point todrive and support implementationacross the European network whileremaining mindful of the future needs ofairspace users. It provides direct sup-port in defining new controller roles,responsibilities and tasks while develop-ing improvements to sector and cross-border operations.

The delivery by the Programme of con-troller working methods, CBAs2, opera-tional performance, human factors andsafety requirements will serve thoseinvolved in final implementation, in par-ticular industry, regulators and serviceproviders. FASTI aims to speed updeployment, which in the past has beenslow. Those implementing FASTI capa-bility in the coming years will benefitfrom a reduction in timescales, risk andcost through the coordinated actionstaken in the Programme.

Although there are still many implemen-tation issues to be resolved, the gapbetween R&D and implementation hasalready been bridged thanks to the ded-ication and effort of those across Europekeen to make FASTI happen. ■ ■

25

1- EuropeanConvergenceandImplementationPlan

2- Cost-BenefitAnalyses

StakeholderForum

26

Stakeholder Forum

There are basically four main reasonswhy the European Commission doesresearch into air traffic management.The first is that air traffic management(ATM) has in the past been too much acollection of national initiatives whereasa stronger European level focus isneeded, reflecting the fact that airtransport in Europe is essentially aninternational activity. Secondly, one ofthe objectives of the EuropeanCommission framework programmes isto support the competitiveness ofEuropean industry. The third reason isto support policy making as theDirectorate General for Transport andEnergy has the responsibility for ensur-ing that the air transport market func-tions efficiently and effectively. Fourthly,we believe the current approach toATM will be unable to provide the levelof service required for the future interms of capacity, safety, efficiency andcost-effectiveness. Consequently, ourresearch is focussing on the futuresolutions.

The European Commission (EC) start-ed getting involved in ATM research in1992. At that time, the EC contributionwas very small, with the vast majorityof the research being carried out in theMember States, often with a significantamount of duplication – nobodyaccepted anyone else’s results oreven ideas. Since that time there hasbeen a radical restructuring of ATMresearch with currently some 80% ofall R&D (Source – ARDEP) in ATM

being driven by EC and EURO-CONTROL funding.

The feature of EC funding that gives usan influence beyond the amount ofmoney we provide is that projects haveto be multinational by definition and ourcontribution is usually only 50% of thetotal cost, the other 50% being provid-ed by the participants (typically manu-facturing industry, air navigation serv-ice providers, research agencies, etc.).

Such partial funding has advantagesand constraints: the advantages arethat the R&D must be needed – other-wise the industry would not invest; asprojects are multinational and ‘risk-sharing’, partners must be able to workwith, and have confidence in, their fel-low consortium members; IPR1 isowned by the consortium, rather thanthe Commission, and exploitation of theresults by industry is easier. The down-side is that we cannot ‘force’ the con-

sortium to go down a route they do notlike, although it is true to say that wecan usually ‘persuade’ them; contractnegotiation is a bit more complicatedbecause it has to find a mutuallyacceptable balance between Europeanneeds and national or industrial inter-ests – sometimes this balancing ishard, sometimes it isn’t.

Since the beginning, cooperationbetween the European Commissionand EUROCONTROL has been signifi-cant, both with Headquarters and theExperimental Centre. This cooperationhas taken several forms, withHeadquarters providing technicaladvice and support to the Commission,funding complementary work on ECfunded projects, and providing fundingto the Centre to help their participationin EU projects. It is true to say the roleof the Experimental Centre in ECresearch has been substantial. Back inthe 4th Framework Programme (1994-

By Christopher North,ATM and Airports Unit,Directorate Generalfor Energy andTransport (DG TREN), European Commission

The European Commission’srole in ATM research

1- IntellectualProperty Right

Skyway 40 - Spring 2006 27

1998), the Centre participated in anumber of projects ‘free of charge’ –effectively being added to the projectby the Commission during the contractnegotiation phase. The most significantexample of this was the AVENUE proj-ect, which developed the concept of‘Avenue Compliance’ to facilitate ‘plugand play’ in ATM simulators. This proj-ect led to the development of the ERISprogramme and the Avenue-CompliantEscape platform (ACE), which has sub-sequently been ‘spun out’ to a numberof European air navigation serviceproviders.

In the 5th Framework Programme(1998-2002), the participation of theCentre changed significantly, with itbecoming a full partner in the consor-

tium before the submission stage andhence receiving funding from theCommission. A significant example ofthis is the main ATM R&D project (Gate-to-Gate), in which EUROCONTROL isthe biggest individual partner, account-ing for nearly 25% of the total effort.This tendency towards greater involve-ment developed even further in the 6thFramework Programme (2002-2006) inwhich EUROCONTROL is actuallyleading a number of projects, the mainone being the large concept validationtask (Episode 3) in support of SESAR,but also in innovation such as theErasmus project.

To reinforce the synergy between ECand EUROCONTROL-funded researchand to maximise the influence we joint-ly have on the ATM research being car-

ried out in Europe, the two organisa-tions have set up the Joint ProgrammeBoard to develop a common researchstrategy, to align projects and pro-grammes and prioritise R&D funding.This Board meets on a regular basisand comprises Directors fromHeadquarters and the Centre, and bothDG TREN (Energy and Transport) andDG RTD (Research and Development).

Clearly the most significant initiative atEuropean level to develop the futureATM system is the SESAR programme,and it will be the guide and federatorfor all future R&D in Europe for manyyears to come. The Definition Phase ofSESAR is jointly funded by theCommission and EUROCONTROL onan equal basis, the Commission

through cash from the Trans-EuropeanNetworks programme (rather than fromR&D budgets), and EUROCONTROLthrough cash and in-kind contributions.The Definition Phase, as its name sug-gests, will define what future systemneeds to be developed and how. Thiswill be followed by a DevelopmentPhase, which is intended to be jointlyfunded on an equal basis by theCommission, EUROCONTROL and theaviation industry (in its broad sense).The development phase is expected tobe funded at the level of €300 millionper annum from 2007 to 2013. It isexpected that SESAR will continuebeyond 2013, but this is currently thelimit of our financial perspectives.

Proposals for the establishment of agovernance structure for theDevelopment Phase are currently beingdiscussed in the Council of theEuropean Community and theEuropean Parliament, and it is hopedthat agreement will be reached towardsthe end of 2006/early 2007. The gover-nance structure being proposed is aJoint Undertaking (along the lines ofwhat was set up for Galileo), which willcomprise the Commission, EURO-CONTROL and industry. It will managethe development phase and the R&Dcontracts that will flow from that. TheJoint Undertaking will also be open to acost-sharing participation by non-EUMember States.

SESAR is clearly the guiding light for allfuture R&D in Europe and it is expectedall R&D resources will be mobilised tomake it a success. This investment inthe research and development taskswill be complemented by the legislativeand enforcement powers of the SingleEuropean Sky legislation, and supportto implementation through the Trans-European Networks programme. ■ ■

“Some 80% of all R&D in ATM is currently beingdriven by EC and EUROCONTROL funding”

Future concepts for the airtransport industry targetchanges in both pilot and con-troller roles with the prospectof a strategically managedrather than tactical system.How do you interpret andenvisage this change of rolesfor the controller, for examplethe controller as a “manager”?

Certainly, the notion of controllersassuming some form of managementrole is not new. Nevertheless, the realquestion is when this transition is likelyto occur, and more importantly what willit be like? By transition I mean the movefrom the current model of air traffic con-trol to the new one.

Today, we see controllers operating as“managers” of flows as well as tactical-ly controlling the traffic within the flows.Although we might not be totally awareof this, this is the way we control traffic,and it is probably nothing new to con-trollers.

The evolution of a controller to operateas a manager assumes that the control

process is distributed or transferredelsewhere in the air traffic managementsystem. So, the human actor will be dis-tanced from the actual tactical activity –the separation of the aircraft. Such amodus operandi may be acceptable ifthe system has the mechanisms andprocesses in place that allow control tobe maintained in the event of emergen-cies or system disturbances. For thetime being it is difficult to envisage howa strategically managed system overdense continental airspace can haveany manual "reversion" for the controlleron the ground to address the situa-tion, if required.

However, this situation is along way away in our view,and it is the implementation

of such anoperating philos-ophy which is proba-bly the greater cause forconcern. For example,Free Flight Airspace(FFAS) as envisaged inthe current operations

concept presumes a dynamic volumeof airspace. There needs to be aninterface – a transition zone from FFASto managed airspace (MAS), and thishas been shown to be problematical.No problem is insurmountable.However, we need to be sure that anyfuture system design is not developedwith inbuilt constraints that will hamperthe industry.

There seems to be a concep-tual trend towards integrationof the pilot in the separationmanagement task of the con-troller, initially through suchconcepts as ASAS spacing,but perhaps later with pilotstaking responsibility for self-separation. Do you see this asbringing benefits to the sys-tem? What impact will it haveon the workload for the pilot?

IFATCA is aware of the work for thedevelopment of Airborne Separation

Assurance Systems (ASAS). Weare participating with EURO-CONTROL and the EuropeanCommission in initiativessuch as the ASAS-Thematic

Network and CASCADE.

We, like others, find the terminologymisleading. ASAS package I applica-tions embrace a multitude of groundand airborne uses. The ground-basedsurveillance applications – which someof our members are using in opera-tional trials around the world – offersubstantial safety and capacity bene-fits in some operational environments,but not necessarily all.

Airborne surveillance and separationapplications do cause concernamongst the controller community.There is a mountain of reports and doc-umentation that shows that it is a viable

28

Marc Baumgartner,President and CEO of IFATCA1

, sheds light on the air traffic controllers’ perspective on the changingATM environment.

“We need to be sure that any future

system design is not developed with inbuilt

constraints that will hamper the industry”

StakeholderForumStakeholder Forum

1- InternationalFederation ofAir TrafficControllers’Associations


option. The Co-Space, MFF2 and NUP3

experiments, for example, demonstratethe viability of various concepts, andthe nature of some of the problems inimplementation as well as the scale ofthe potential benefits. We are con-cerned about how airborne traffic situa-tional awareness applications will affectflight-deck controller interaction.

ASAS is not, in our view, a stand-alonesystem at the Package I and II level,but one of a battery of control tech-niques that will be deployed in the ATMsystem. It will therefore need to be inte-grated with other ATM system compo-nents. Herein lies another of our con-cerns. The potential benefits to the ATMsystem as a whole from some of the air-borne applications might be smallerthan those from alternative control tech-niques. In our view, it is not a debatebetween one and the other but abouthow the two are fused together into anintegrated control philosophy that deliv-ers the capacity and flexibility whichthe airspace users desire. The trade-offs are not well enough understood, inour view, as the industry becomesentrenched in polarised views.

Turning more specifically tosafety, the 8th PerformanceReview Report (PRR8) statesthat the quality, quantity andconsistency of ATM safetyinformation are inadequate formeasuring and managing safe-ty at European level, and thatthe way forward must includeenhanced legal protection toreporting individuals. How doyou see the legal frameworkevolving within the SESARimplementation timeframe,and what is the role ofresearch?

The work of the safety data reporting &data flow (SAFREP) task force hasshown that there is a need to gobeyond the aviation circle with regardto the explanation of what is neededfrom a safety point of view, when itcomes to the just reporting culture inaviation.

In IFATCA we do not want blame-freereporting, but we insist on the fact thata just culture is essential for the futureof the aviation system. There is, how-ever, a problem with regard to measur-ing safety as highlighted in the PRR8report. Safety must be measured onlyin order to enhance safety and shouldnot be used to benchmark one air nav-igation service provider/State againstanother. This notion is still not wellunderstood by the decision-makers. Ifsafety indicators were to be used tobenchmark the performance of a sin-gle air navigation serviceprovider/State, this would destroy allthe benefits of safety reporting interms of improving safety. One has toadmit that much research has alreadybeen done, and some of the civil avia-

tion safety record is due to three keyfactors: dedication to safety, a contin-uous learning process (i.e. exchang-ing safety information), and the abilityto learn from errors. A lot of informa-tion has already been collected.

The question our members are con-fronted with, however, is what to dowith this data in order to develop anunderstanding of the real safetyissues and consequently developstrategies to improve safety. What ourmembers experience is rather thecontrary. The trend has been to use

safety information for disciplinary/enforcement purposes, and asdemonstrated by court cases, thissometimes ends in criminal chargesagainst controllers. IFATCA and ICAOhave for some time been urging

29

“A just culture is essential

for the future of the

aviation system”

��

2- MediterraneanFree Flight

3- North-EuropeanADS-B NetworkUpdateProgramme

StakeholderForum

States/providers to examine/adjusttheir laws and regulations to protectoperators against this practice. Thereare very tight provisions protectingsome accident/incident records injudicial proceedings. We want thesame protection for information fromsafety data collection systems. This isproving very difficult to obtain andonly a few States around the globehave legislation protecting this type ofinformation. Getting it may not be pos-sible owing to incompatibilities withtheir judicial systems. This mustchange! We therefore call upon theStates in Europe and around the worldto re-examine their respective legalsystems. States must recognise thatthe purpose of the law is to maintainor increase safety for their citizensand that laws cannot achieve this ifthey contain only punitive provisionsto prosecute failure. To maintain orincrease safety, the law must balancepunitive provisions against the needto protect reporting and recording ofsafety-critical events so that correc-tions can be made to the system toprevent future system failures. In viewof the projected increase in traffic, it isessential for States to protect safetydata collection in order to at leastmaintain existing safety levels.

Controllers have expressed con-cerns about the gradual corpo-ratisation and privatisation ofservice providers. Is this a realconcern and in what areas?

The corporatisation/privatisation of airnavigation service providers repre-sents a major change in the workingrelationship between controllers andthe employer. It is a new world for usand we have many concerns. In IFATCA we have a list of items whichwe urge our members to look at care-fully when faced with this new trend.

I would just like to highlight a few: manyservice providers used to be govern-ment bodies but it became clear thatgovernments could not effectively orefficiently operate air traffic control serv-ices in a changing world. Many felt thatgovernment procedures hindered thedecision-making processes, leading toinefficiency. Although many ATC associ-ations were involved with the change-over processes, after a year or two ofcommercialisation/privatisation the“shine” wore off and there was lesscooperation from controllers.

Before long the “business mentality”reared its ugly head and it becameclear that personnel costs were toohigh and that productivity had toincrease. Hiring and training has beenstopped in order to cut costs. Theshortage of air traffic controllers is con-tinuing to produce lots of delays –despite the air navigation serviceproviders' favourite solution, which is

to make controllers work overtime. Thistrend away from investment in thelonger term has had serious systemsafety implications. Our members areexperiencing increasingly strained rela-tions between management and staffrepresentatives. This has led, or will ulti-mately lead, to more delays, greatercosts for customers and a direct impacton safety. The role of the regulator haschanged and this has not been identi-fied sufficiently early enough. This hasled to a lack of resources (both finan-cially and in qualified personnel) at theregulatory level – which in some caseshas led to a complete breakdown ofsafety and economical oversight of the

new air navigation service providers. Alot of air navigation service providershave suffered from the financial defi-ciencies of misconceived and hastilyimplemented coporatisation/privatisa-tion programmes.

It is sometimes said that thecontroller is a major obsta-cle to progress in ATM.Research needs the partner-ship of the controller com-munity firstly to create thecollective vision and second-ly to develop and validatethe concepts and systems.At the same time, it is nor-mal and necessary that thecontroller opts for a stablesystem rather than a chang-ing system in order to ensuresafety. How can the con-troller reconcile these con-flicting roles and how canthe researchers help?

This is a very perceptive question,and the answer is not simple.

It is essential from the outset to appre-ciate where the controller is in the sys-tem. Controllers are system users justas much as other stakeholders. Assuch, they have requirements from thesystem to enable them to fulfil their roleand responsibilities, even if these them-selves are changing. All too often,these requirements are misunderstoodor ill-defined, and the design of anysolution is lacking in some major way.

In this connection it is essential that con-troller needs be understood. Controllers

30

Stakeholder Forum

Marc Baumgartner, President and CEO of IFATCA,sheds light on the air traffic controllers’ perspective on the changing ATM environment.

“One way to ensure that controllers are prepared (for future changes) is to engage with them in theirnatural language and understand their perspective”


are concerned about safety, becausesafety is at the heart of what they do.Nevertheless, this is often misconstruedas a barrier for change. Safety and themitigation of risks are areas that requiremore research; particularly the humanperformance requirements of real-timeproblem identification and solution.

What is perceived as a simple change,with no major impact on the controller’stask or modus operandi, frequently haseffects contrary to expectations.Examples abound. Controllers are there-fore renowned for mistrust of those plan-ning the future. The way forward must beto build this trust and engage with thecontroller population in positive andmeaningful ways.

Consequently, if the research communi-ty is prepared to consider us as profes-sionals with the ability to add value toATM research and outcomes, then it willbe easy for controllers to become com-mitted to engaging positively to devel-oping the future system.

This is a commitment that controllers areprepared to make, but only if there isgenuine acceptance of a meaningfulrole for the human operator. One mustbe mindful too, that we have a duty ofcare, a responsibility towards those whowill be operating the systems we areresearching today. Many of these con-trollers have yet to be recruited or evenborn.

SESAR is now a significantfocus for many in the air trans-port industry, what are yourhopes and expectations forthis initiative?

Like any other recent pan-Europeaninitiatives aimed at fostering imple-mentation of a harmonisation plan,there is a danger of focusing first on

institutional issues, only later torealise that technological reality is farfrom the political objectives. In theend, it will be the customers who willrealise that the new system costsmuch more than the current one. Tobe fair to the current process, onehas to agree that it is most probablythe first time that such a large buy-infrom industry and Member States hasbeen achieved.

The fact that the management of theprocess is given to Air Traffic Alliance(ATA) is certainly positive, putting thelogistics in place for a successfulmanagement of the process for thedefinition phase. Currently, we atIFATCA have difficulty understandingwhat will happen after the definitionphase – the current plans do notstretch further than 2012. In aviation,it normally takes at least seven yearsto make things happen. A majorstumbling block identified is that theproject is already experiencingdelays in the delivery of the finalproduct for the definition phase. Thiscan be attributed to a number of fac-tors: the institutional instability whichis currently prevailing within theSingle European Sky, the need tomeet differing objectives, the factthat some of the work packages havethe inherent goal of competition, andthat the whole initiative will not havesufficient funds available.

Finally, how should we focus ourresearch in order to facilitatethe transition towards the newcontroller role?

Transition per se is, to controllers, a majorarea of concern. It has been in the past,it is today, and it will be in the future.

If we are to leave the human in control,then the transition needs to show that itunderstands what the human needs arein order to satisfactorily and safely moveto new systems. So often, this area isneglected. The perceived magnitude ofthe changes to come make this area apre-requisite for success.

There are several areas that to date havebeen elusive in research terms. One ofthese is the role of the human and sys-tem and what is needed for them to co-exist effectively. We have so much morework to do to develop a sound philoso-phy to work towards the future.

At some stage, the research agendamust simply move from the rarefied andnear-perfect research environment to thenot-so-perfect and stochastic real world.Controllers will always relate new con-cepts back to the real-world problems.One way to ensure that controllers areprepared is to meet this directly andengage with them in their natural lan-guage and understand their perspectiveof the domain. ■ ■

31

StakeholderForum

Aviation is an essential contributor toEurope’s economic prosperity and theoutlook for commercial aviation growthremains strong in spite of global eco-nomic difficulties. The liberalisation andderegulation of the airline industry havesignificantly contributed to suchgrowth. In future, more and more peo-ple are expected to be travelling andmore planes will be taking to the skies.This means that if no additional meas-ures are taken, the European air trafficmanagement (ATM) system will beheading for gridlock. It is therefore timeto set the current ATM system on acourse for the transition to new andmore cost-effective operational scenar-ios and technologies.

Against such a background, EuropeanStates and air navigation serviceproviders constantly need to developtheir CNS infrastructure and ATM servic-es in order to meet future air trafficgrowth safely and efficiently. Currently,air navigation services and the systemsthat support them are not sufficientlyintegrated and are based on technolo-gies which are already running at maxi-mum. In order to accommodate futureair traffic needs, the aviation communitymust rethink the current European ATMsystem by implementing a paradigmshift, supported by innovative conceptsand technologies.

As one of the key Mediterranean airnavigation service providers, ENAV hasalways shown a strong commitment toair traffic management innovation.ENAV has in fact been leading a largenumber of complex studies and valida-tion activities with the aim of defining adetailed implementation plan for newATM services in the Mediterraneanarea. Over the years, ENAV has alsobeen supportive of EUROCONTROLand European Commission R&D initia-tives and projects. In line with thisapproach, ENAV is also fully committed

to and deeply involved in SESAR – theSingle European Sky ImplementationProgramme – in which the industry isgoing to jointly define, commit to andcarry out a pan-European CNS/ATMimplementation programme.

In the current European scenario, wethink that SESAR is the catalyst that willbring all the aviation elements andactors together with a view to eliminat-ing the current fragmented approach toATM – it will transform the EuropeanATM system, synchronise the opera-tional concepts, plans, actions andresources of the various partners andfederate all the actors, including indus-try. We believe it is time to move alltogether towards CNS/ATM R&D andthe implementation of validation results.This will deliver operational benefits andprovide the users with immediateimprovements in terms of efficiency andcapacity.

Innovation is one of our greatest chal-lenges. Central to innovation is theacknowledgement of the need for acommon vision of the future ATM sys-tem. Such a system will not be achievedby simply acquiring new CNS technolo-gies. Key factors in the enhancement ofthe current system’s performance will beregional ATM R&D and validation coop-eration, and civil/military cooperation.

32

Stakeholder Forum

Regional CNS/ATM R&Dand validation cooperation

Creating a European R&Dpartnership for a paradigmshift in ATM

By GiancarloFerrara,Head of ENAVCNS/ATMExperimentalCentre

UnitedKingdom

France

EspagneItaly

Malta

Greece

Albania

TunisiaMorocco

Algeria

Portu

gal

Norway

Denmark

Netherlands

GermanyBelgiumLuxembourg

Iceland

ENAV R&D andCNS/ATM partners

Ireland

Sweden

Finland

Estonia

Latvia

Lithuania

Belarus

Romania

Bulgaria

Turkey

Kazakhstan

Russian Federation

Iran

Iraq

Saudi Arabia

Jordan

Syria

LebanonCyprus

SerbiaandMontenegro

Bosniaand

Herzegovina

Switzerland

Poland

CzechRepublic

Slovenia

HungaryAustriaSlovenia

Common projectsPotential R&D partnersR&D centres partnershipMoC R&D (signed or under signature)

Libya Egypt

Israel

Macedonia

GeorgiaAzerbaijan

Armenia

Ukraine

Moldova


In essence, R&D and associated vali-dation activities should be mechanismsto bring together all interested stake-holders to develop a pragmatic long-term vision, create a coherent, dynam-ic strategy to achieve that vision andsteer its implementation.

In this context, regional cooperation onATM R&D and validation activitiesshould allow for faster and more cost-effective implementation of new ATMoperational concepts and sustainEuropean ATM harmonisation and inte-gration. The underlying rationale is thatthe Single European Sky initiative is notexpected to be implemented at thesame time and at same speed acrossEurope, owing to the fact that econom-ical, technical, operational and institu-tional contexts vary from one region toanother. Therefore, a regional approachwould be a more efficient strategytowards the convergence of opera-tional concepts and systems imple-mentation for Europe as a whole. Thisregional approach should not be limit-ed only to the European Civil AviationConference (ECAC) area but shouldalso include the States at the peripheryof ECAC that are interested in beinginvolved in the European Commission’sand EUROCONTROL’s initiatives. Withthis in mind, ENAV has already signedseveral partnership agreements withother air navigation service providers inthe Mediterranean area with a view toestablishing a formal framework forR&D cooperation.

Another important element for success-fully building a new ATM system for thethird millennium is looking at placeswhere we can introduce changes incre-mentally. In future R&D and validationactivities, we are expected to take abuilding-block approach towards field-ing new operational concepts and sys-tems in order to provide benefits to

users as soon as possible. At the sametime, a building-block approach bringsuser benefits and will show stakehold-ers that we know where we are goingand how we are going to get there. Partof what has in the past stymied the evo-lution of the current ATM system hasbeen going after too grand a vision andlosing sight of the achievable, making“perfection the enemy of the possible”.

We all know today that there are sever-al major risks associated with CNS/ATMimplementation programmes. Theserisks include avionics costs, validation,certification procedures, human factorsand user acceptance. The massivechanges and experiences gained overthe last few years in terms of air trafficgrowth, new technologies, pro-grammes management and the defini-tion of operational procedures havehighlighted the basis for an evolution ofthe ATM system in which the human isthe key element.

In this framework, the role of R&D andpre-operational validation activitieswill be crucial for the achievement ofresults in terms of ATM system evolu-tion to face the increasing demand inthe air transport market acceleratedby air transport liberalisation andmarket globalisation.

European R&D centres have theknowledge and expertise required toprovide the necessary validationframework to assess the “fitness forpurpose” of the future ATM systemdefined by SESAR. It is absolutelyvital that in years to come R&D shouldbecome more effective by makingbetter use of its distributed expertiseand facilities. This should be thefocus of the attention and the work ofthe entire R&D aviation community;the final objective being to ensure asafe, secure and efficient ATM systemcapable of supporting future trafficgrowth. ■ ■

33

StakeholderForum

Firstly, there is a need to prove quanti-tatively that a development will be ben-eficial before investing large amountsof money in R&D. The means requiredfor such an analysis are, however, farfrom being fully available. The difficultyof developing these means must not beunderestimated, primarily because theanalysis must be holistic and preciseenough to identify multiple impactsacross the board. In this way, the dou-ble-counting of benefits can be avoid-ed and the rationale behind the resultscan be clearly seen.

Some instances of successful R&Dprojects could, however, be cited byway of examples of R&D effectiveness.I could mention LEONARDO, G2G andC-ATM, all of which were financed bythe European Commission with EURO-CONTROL as a key partner. There arealso a number of future projects, suchas Episode III or RESET, for which wehave high expectations.

The next question is what should be con-sidered a success in the R&D arena:looking for clear indicators of R&D suc-cess and effectiveness is another chal-lenge. There are essentially two sources

of failure in R&D. Firstly, there may be adevelopment failure (this is the mostwidely known source of failure but wouldnot appear to be the main one); second-ly, we may be faced with a given technol-ogy that is not used at all, or used late.This is because a technology’s globalbenefits need to be demonstrated forstakeholders to implement it – otherwise itwill be implemented only when itbecomes mandatory.

Another option, however, would be togather arguments in support of thebenefits of a planned approach to R&D.In this connection, one cannot fail tomention developments such as theintegrated working platform for the opti-mal use of analytical techniques(PITOT), with its promise of hybrid sim-ulation, and the initiative to define a fullycomprehensive validation infrastructureacross Europe.

Another approach would be to look forinefficiencies resulting from the fact thatthe theoretical role of each potentialactor in the R&D chain is not fullyrespected: laboratories for innovativeresearch, service providers in definingoperational needs and specifying serv-ices, and the industry in developing thespecified products.

Many ideas and approaches could beused to gauge the effectiveness ofR&D.

The following headline from the Spanishnewspaper El País provides some inspi-ration: "Crisis of faith in R&D". The articlestarts with these words: "the search forinnovation was, for a long time, a matterof faith; if you invest more, profits will fol-low". Examining the article's sources forfurther information, I found an interestingreport entitled "The Booz Allen HamiltonGlobal Innovation 1000: Money Isn’tEverything". Here, in the points below, I make a number of comments on thisand other related sources:

■ From a financial viewpoint, R&D ismerely a means for increasing thesustained profitability of a company.It should not be seen as an objectivein itself.

■ If you are small, it is better to look foreconomies of scale through work inpartnership. This is the case for ATMR&D teams: we need to cooperateand agree on concepts and technolo-gies. Sharing experiences and expert-ise is the cheapest path to the future.

■ Timing is a problem. Results arealways needed yesterday. R&D, how-ever, is a search, and hypothesesmay change along the way.Traceability is therefore needed, fromrequirements and hypotheses to per-formance and results. If the reasonsleading to a specific developmentundertaking are known, the path maybe altered when changes in the sur-rounding conditions dictate.

34

Stakeholder Forum

By José Miguel de Pablo Guerrero, Air Navigation SystemDevelopment Division, Engineeringand Maintenance Directorate,AENA

When considering research anddevelopment effectiveness,

a number of ideas come to mind.

Research and development effectivenessA personal view


■ There is a need for sustained effort.Continuity is the key.

■ Money does not buy results (some-times, indeed, the contrary is true),but scarce resources equal failure.Simply investing more will not solvethe problem (though further invest-ment is nevertheless required), asproved by a number of exercises inthe past (MLS). The problem is alsomethodological (R&D proceduresare a key factor for success).

■ Just as important as technical suc-cess in R&D is doing the rightresearch – the research which isrequired by the market and which youwill be able to implement later on. Thisis a paraphrase of my opening state-ment: there is a need to prove the ben-efits and feasibility of implementationbefore development can begin.

■ There are methodologies even in thefield of inventiveness (e.g. the TRIZmethod); but creativity is also relevant.Looking for ideas means recognisingthat there are other clever people outthere (and here I am referring to aero-nautics) and according the appropri-ate importance to exploratoryresearch.

■ Merely waiting for the future to arrive(i.e. satellite solutions) is not the rightapproach either.

■ Identifying R&D success factors onthe basis of statistical data from sur-veys ("what do you consider impor-tant?") is normal practice. Should the

same approach be used in order toestablish which points are to be con-sidered in relation to R&D analysis?Agreement is needed in ATM, but is itthe solution? Having agreement doesnot mean being right.

To sum up: "[…] an innovation edge willneed to rely less on faith and more oncreativity, analysis and disciplinedmanagement".

Even when all these aspects are careful-ly considered, however, putting them intopractice does not automatically guaran-tee R&D success, because of the natureof the ATM business. Development andimplementation cycles for aeronauticsare long enough to discourage adventur-ous investors. If investments are not inplace within four or five years, what hap-pens? Nothing happens immediately, asthe lack of R&D investment only becomesapparent in the long term.

In any case, the business is such thatyou can obtain the right support only ifyou prove that a development is good(in quantified terms) and that it willwork. The problem is that "proving" inthis case means neither simply givingopinions based on broad experiencenor simply showing that the develop-ment works (which also requires thetechnology to be developed before-hand, a rather expensive approach).

On the other hand, one could simplydefine the technology or concept up to alevel allowing the identification of whatwould be its ideal performance if every-thing went well in terms of the develop-ment process and if every problem wassolved, and then quantify the impact onthe global ATM system (taking specialcare not to double-count benefits).

Of course, when one comes from theconceptual world of the R&D domain,

“ideal performance” is not that astonish-ing an idea – but in any case there isalways a theoretical maximum ceiling thatcan be used. Sometimes even if we takethe best possible figures, the system’sperformance is still not good, so why continue investing? Elaborating this ideaa little further, one could even determinethe performance make-or-break point forthe technology under analysis, i.e. theminimum performance required in orderfor such a technology to be beneficial. Inaddition, element-combinations analysiswill reveal the appropriate road map andwill help to prioritise investments.

Validation platforms for taking theapproach described previously are notavailable today and would appear diffi-cult to develop. We should thereforecontinue to listen to expert opinions anddevelop without full knowledge of thedevelopment's relevance (but not justbasing it on a wild guess either). Thereis no alternative – or is there?

The answer is that there is, in fact, analternative: to develop the required vali-dation infrastructure. We do not need towait for this to be available in order to startthe remaining R&D activities (since thesehave been running for decades withoutany such support). The fact is that wecannot afford to wait any longer if we wantto avoid wasting already scarceresources, or if we want to see the tech-nology implemented in the real world.

Going back to my introductory statement,there is a "need to prove (quantitatively)that a development will be beneficialbefore investing large amounts of money inR&D", as a way of avoiding overspending.

So, what is the "Holy Grail" for R&D? Is itthe idea proposed in the previous para-graph? Unfortunately, I am only guessingthat it is, and have not proved it. Wouldyou like to buy into it? ■ ■

35

ForumStakeholder

French Ambassador Mr Guy Yelda, theDirector of the General Secretariat ofEUROCONTROL, Dr Gerhard Stadler,and the General Director of theLithuanian air navigation serviceprovider Oro Navigacija, Mr AlgimantasRascius, were among the officials whoattended the ceremony.

With a view to modernising the Vilniusarea and aerodrome control centres, theLithuanian ATC Centre ModernisationProgramme (LACMO), launched in

2002, provides the air navigation serv-ice provider with increased capacity tomeet the forecast traffic growth and pro-vides airlines with advanced services.

The new Lithuanian Eurocat X air trafficmanagement system meets Europeanstandards and the latest operationalrequirements for air traffic control. Thesystem supplies automatic flight andradar data processing, combined withflight monitoring aids and safety facili-ties, such as short-term conflict alert,

minimum safe altitude warning andrestricted area warning.

“This ceremony marks an importantsuccess, both for the LACMO pro-gramme and the modernisation of theLithuanian air traffic management sys-tem, contributing to the implementationof the Single European Sky and EURO-CONTROL requirements,” Mr Rasciussaid. “Close and fruitful cooperationbetween Oro Navigacija and Thalesenabled the programme to be complet-ed one month ahead of schedule.”

The accession of Lithuania to NATO andto the European Union and sustainableeconomic growth have been the driversincreasing demand for travel to/fromother European countries. The growth inGDP in Lithuania will remain high in2006 compared to other EU MemberStates. Exports and imports continue togrow and the flow of direct foreigninvestment is increasing. At the sametime, the successful economic develop-ment of Lithuania has not been affectedby rising oil prices and economic stag-nation in Western Europe.

There has been a constant upwardtrend in air traffic growth over the lastfew years. 2003 saw a 10.29% growthon 2002, 2004 saw a 25.42% increaseon 2003 and in 2005 there was a12.22% traffic growth compared to2004.

36

By RaffiKhatcherian,Project Manager,StakeholderImplementationService, DAP/SIS

The Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications,

Mr Petras Cesna, officially inaugurated the new Lithuanian

air traffic management system, supplied by Thales, at a

ceremony on 30 November 2005 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Stakeholder Forum

Control System Lithuania

Mr Daniel Kleim, Thales

From left to right: Mr Daniel Kleim, Thales, Mr Guy Yelda, French Ambassador, Mr Petras Cesna,Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications, and Mr Algimantas Rascius, Director General of Oro Navigacija

New Air Traffic Control Systemoperational in Lithuania


Vilnius international airport handles70% of Lithuania’s airport traffic, with1,105 594 passengers in the first tenmonths of 2005, which represents anincrease of 31% on the same periodlast year.

Thales is playing an important role inthe programme to modernise air trafficservices in Lithuania by supplying thefull range of ATM products – controlcentres, radars, a simulator andnavaids, including the ILS 420, themost technically advanced instrumentlanding system.

The Vilnius ATC ModernisationProgramme has contributed to thedevelopment of the air traffic control

system in Lithuania, preparing it tomeet the future challenges in terms ofsafety and passenger capacity.

The next step in the programme will bethe procurement of several new landing

and navigation systems for the airportsin Vilnius and Palanga. During 2006,two ILS 420 systems, a DVOR 432 sys-tem and an NDB 436 system will alsobe installed in Vilnius and an NDB 436system in Palanga. ■ ■

37

LACMO – the Lithuanian ATC CentreModernisation Programme

In 2002, the Lithuania air navigation service provider launched a mod-ernisation programme for the complete upgrade of the Vilnius ATC Centresystem.

The User Requirement Document (URD) and the Functional andTechnical Requirement (FTRD) documents were prepared taking intoconsideration EUROCONTROL requirements. Appropriate feasibilitystudies were also conducted. Two main new aspects, such as revision ofthe concepts based on the service provider’s Development Strategy toensure compliance with the overall CNS/ATM System Architecture, andguidance on the conduct of feasibility studies were incorporated into thedevelopment process.

Vilnius air traffic controllers wereinvolved in all stages of the process.

The contract for the Lithuanian ATCCentre Modernisation (LACMO) wassigned on 26 November 2003. The simu-lator has been operational since 12 July2004. The Factory Acceptance Test (FAT)was successfully completed on 18November 2004. The system was inaugu-rated at the end of November 2005 andbecame operational in December 2005.

Lithuania is once again at the cuttingedge of ATM technology. The LACMOprogramme at Vilnius comprises a widerange of the latest Thales systems. Theinstallations include a EUROCAT centrewith 5 operator positions and a simulator. The EUROCAT centre uses thehighly adaptable Thales ATM benchmark equipment. It can handle multi-ple situations from approach to en-route control in a variety of geograph-ical environments, traffic densities and operational situations. The EUROCAT simulator is used for controller training, procedure evaluationand software upgrade testing.

For Vilnius International Airport, the system has been adapted further toinclude automatic flight and radar data processing, combined with flightmonitoring aids and safety facilities such as short-term conflict alert, min-imum safe altitude warning and restricted area warnings.

Civil aviation policy in Lithuaniais the responsibility of the Ministry ofTransport and Communications. TheLithuanian Civil Aviation Administration(CAA) is the National SupervisoryAuthority. Oro Navigacija (ON) is aState enterprise; it is the sole air navi-gation service provider in Lithuania;ON is an independent State-ownedenterprise, which operates under thesupervision of the Ministry of Transportand Communications, completely sep-arated from the regulatory authority.

The newATC Centre

Review

Project objectives

The GNSS1 Introduction in the AviationSector Project, known as GIANT, is theresponse of an international consor-tium, led by INECO, to the EuropeanCommission (EC) 6th FrameworkProgramme (FP6) Call 2411, Area 1A,for the GNSS Introduction in theAviation Sector. This Call is managedby the Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU),with the support of EUROCONTROL.

This Project is aimed at supporting theintroduction of EGNOS2 and Galileoservices in the aviation sector, main-taining the required safety levels. It isessential that this project is based onthe results of EUROCONTROL activi-ties. Consequently, it is closely coordi-nated with EUROCONTROL, whichsupports the GJU and performs thetechnical management of GIANT,ensuring that the project directly sup-ports and provides added value to theexisting navigation domain activities.

The Project began on 12 July 2005 andwill last two years.

The GIANT consortium

GIANT is a user-driven project, mean-ing that it deals with the development ofa solution proposed by the industry,promoted by the air navigation serviceproviders and accepted by the users(airlines and helicopter operators).

Consortium and experts' skills cover allrequired technical competencies forthe successful completion of theProject entrusted to the GIANT consor-tium (See Figure 1):

■ air navigation service providers andairport operators: AENA3, NATS4,Skyguide, PATA5;

■ EGNOS service provider: ESSP;■ airspace users: Air Nostrum, REGA;■ industries:

- aircraft and helicopter manufac-turers: Bombardier, Eurocopter;

- receiver manufacturers: Septentrio, CMC Electronics Inc.;

- local elements manufacturers: Thales ATM, Terma;

- avionics systems integrators: Rockwell Collins;

■ consultancy companies: INECO,Helios, FDC, Advantage, Avtech,Isdefe, Pildo Labs;

■ universities: International Institute ofAir and Space Law (University ofLeiden).

Since GIANT aims to increase aware-ness among airspace users, aircraftand avionics manufacturers, it has con-centrated the flight demonstration cam-paign on the regional and rotorcraftmarket, probably the airspace usersmost interested in introducingapproaches with vertical guidance(APVs) based on EGNOS. The consor-tium comprises a complete value chainfrom the manufacturer to the actual enduser (for both aircraft and rotorcraft).

Project work breakdown

The work has been organised into eightdifferent Work Packages (WPs) thatinteract among themselves in order toensure that the Project objectives arefulfilled.

WP 1 – Action andtransition plans The purpose of the work package is toprovide an exhaustive and comprehen-sive assessment of all the already-identi-fied EGNOS/Galileo applications in com-parison with the various technical andnon-technical enablers and to proposespecific action plans in order to build a

38

Review

By Luis Chocano,Head of Department.Satellite Navigation,INECO, and

Antonio Pelaez, Head of Department.Air NavigationProgrammes, INECO.

GNSS Introduction in the Aviation SectorThe GIANT Project


strategic plan for the progressive intro-duction of GNSS services in aviation,complementing the tasks to be devel-oped by EUROCONTROL. A specifictransition plan from the EGNOS toEGNOS/Galileo context will be proposed.

WP 2 – Development of innovative applicationsThis WP will identify innovative non-navigation applications and servicesthat could be supported by GNSS.

WP 3 – Demonstration of theoperational benefits of GNSS toairspace usersThis WP will provide the appropriateinstruments to increase the mutualawareness of the aviation and GNSScommunities so as to promote the intro-duction of GNSS in the aviation sectorand investment in GNSS (mainly orient-ed towards aircraft manufacturers andairlines). Various operational scenarios(including flight trial campaigns in areal operational scenario based onEGNOS) have been proposed to simu-late future EGNOS operations

WP 4 – Business, market, financial and safety studies.This WP will undertake safety and finan-cial studies to support the awareness-raising campaign. It will demonstrate

the potential benefits of EGNOS/Galileoservices and investigate safetyaspects.

WP 5 – User terminal This WP will define the airborne systemthat is required to take advantage of theservices provided by EGNOS andGalileo, taking into account that the air-borne architecture will be different forthe different categories of airspaceusers such as general aviation andtransport category aircraft.

WP 6 – Local elements This part of the Project addresses theservice enablers, open issues andmain risks linked to the introduction ofthe applications supported by thefuture local elements of Galileo, GBAS6

type, installed at airports in order toprovide a precision approach and land-ing capability.

WP 7 – Assessment of legal andregulatory GNSS enablers The regulatory activity will comprise anin-depth assessment of the currentframeworks and consider proposalsmade so far before formulating a rec-ommended policy which can be usedto overcome any identified obstacles,either by a legal work-around or a newlegislative approach.

Flight trials campaign

It is worth mentioning the flight trial andtest campaign that will be carried outwithin the framework of the GIANTProject. Its purpose is to demonstrate tothe aeronautical community the benefitsof the services provided by EGNOS/Galileo. Consequently, and after an ini-tial analysis phase, a couple of potentialoperational scenarios have been identi-fied in which the users can obtain majorbenefits from the use of GNSS systems.

Scenario 1 – AircraftThis scenario aims to demonstrate theestimated benefits of GNSS through anumber of APV approaches based onEGNOS at the non-ILS7-equipped run-way of Valencia airport. Additional flighttrials will be performed in otherEuropean airports. The trials will be per-formed by the major Spanish regionalairline, Air Nostrum, using Dash-8 air-craft (Figure 3). The key added value forthese trials is that, for the first time inEurope, the flights will be conducted bya regional airline plane using the avail-able EGNOS signal.

39

GIANTConsortium

ATMprocedures

andvalidation

Serviceproviders

Avionics&

navigationsystems

manufacturer

Aircraftmanufacturer

Aerospaceconsulting

Researchbodies

Airlines&

operators

Figure 2:The GarminGNS 400 SBASreceiver is thepreferred optionfor the APV trialswithin GIANT

Figure 3: Air Nostrum Dash-8 aircraft

1- GlobalNavigationSatelliteSystem

2- EuropeanGeostationaryNavigationOverlay System

3- AeropuertosEspañoles yNavigaciónAérea (Spain)

4- UK NationalAir TrafficServices Ltd.

5- PolishAirports

6- Ground-BasedAugmentationSystem

7- InstrumentLandingSystem

Figure 1:The GIANT consortium

© Garmin

© Air Nostrum

Scenario 2 – HelicoptersThis scenario aims to perform a localdemonstration of EGNOS capabilitiesfor improving the safety and reliability ofHEMS operations. Indeed, almost allHEMS flights today are still conductedunder visual flight rules (VFR), even atnight and in adverse weather. Firstly,some pre-demonstration flights will takeplace near Eurocopter installations inMarignane (France).

Secondly, two major trials will be per-formed consisting of IFR APVapproaches based on EGNOS in a heli-pad in Lausanne and low level IFRflights linking two Swiss hospitals. TheEurocopter EC155 SystemsDemonstrator helicopter (Figure 4), theEurocopter flying platform foradvanced systems research, will beused. Pilots from Sécurité Civile(French Search & Rescue service),REGA (main Swiss HEMS operator)and FOCA (Swiss Civil AviationAuthority) will be invited to participateonboard the EC155 in performing someapproaches.

Additional flight trialsAdditional flight trails are being pro-posed for both the aircraft and rotor-craft scenarios. The former would con-sist of APV approaches with integratedSBAS8 avionics on CRJ 200 aircraft

operated by Air Nostrum (Figure 5).The helicopter scenario would coverEGNOS-based approaches to oil rigs inthe North Sea which are characterisedby severe meteorological conditionsand a structurally complex environ-ment.

Additional informationand reporting of results

Within the scope of the GIANT Project,two user fora are foreseen in order tocreate awareness and to report on theresults. The first one is planned for theend of June 2006, alongside the flighttrials in Valencia (Spain), and the sec-ond one by the end of the Project (June 2007) at the EUROCONTROLHeadquarters in Brussels. ■ ■

Further information can be found atwww.gnss-giant.com.

40

Figure 4: The Eurocopter EC155 Systems Demonstrator

Figure 5: Air Nostrum CRJ 200 aircraft

8- Space-BasedAugmentationSystem

Review

© ESA

Review

© Air Nostrum

© Eurocopter

GNSS Introduction in the Aviation SectorThe GIANT Project

27-29 June 2006Madrid, Spain


Datelines

The purpose of the Congress is torecognise the critical role that aeronau-tical information will play in the futureICAO air traffic management (ATM) con-cept. The requirements for the integrityof flight-critical data and the scope ofthe aeronautical information required byATM to ensure interoperability exceedthe aeronautical information services(AIS) currently being provided.

The objective of the Congress is tobring together originators, processors,publishers, regulators, system design-ers, service providers and end-userswho together constitute the global AISfamily. Drawing on collective experi-ence, needs and requirements theCongress will:

■ consider the essential role of AIS inthe evolving world of ATM;

■ identify the key drivers for change;■ explore what must be done to ensure

that aeronautical information of theright scope and quality is madeavailable;

■ at a strategic level, review emergingtechnologies that will facilitatechange in a practical and affordablemanner;

■ outline a roadmap for the develop-ment of aeronautical information, toassist ICAO in the difficult task ofleading global change.

In partnership with ICAO, the Congressis being organised by a small but globally representative consortium(Australia, Canada, China, EURO-CONTROL, Japan, South Africa andthe United States) and will be facilitatedby EUROCONTROL with strong sup-port from the Spanish Director Generalof Civil Aviation and AENA, Spain's AirNavigation Service Provider.

An impressive list of high-level moder-ators and speakers is being assem-bled and the keynote speeches will begiven by the FAA Administrator andthe EUROCONTROL Director General.We are waiting for a decision fromICAO Montreal on who their speakerwill be.

Datelines

Global AeronauticalInformation ServiceCongress A Global Aeronautical

Information Service (AIS)

Congress will be held on

27-29 June 2006 in the

“Palacio de Congresos”

in Madrid, Spain.

The organisers are committed toensuring that the global aviationcommunity is fully engaged in thedebate. They recognise that aero-nautical information transcendsnational and regional boundaries.Consequently, AIS development mustbe agreed and coordinated on aglobal scale.

Industry is being invited to exhibittechnology, products and services todemonstrate that change is feasibleand available today.

The Congress details can be accessed atwww.eurocontrol.int/globalais06, includingon-line registration. The response to date ismost encouraging.

Datelines

The conference, the sixth in a serieswhich started in 1997 in Saclay (France),has grown from strength to strength –gathering some 200 international air traf-fic management researchers in 2005.

The objectives of the conference are tocreate and reinforce working and per-sonal relationships between leadingexperts and researchers in the field ofATM R&D, to share available resultsand to reach a consensus on majorissues, with a view to supporting thedevelopment of a harmonised globalair traffic management system.

During the seminar, three keynotespeeches and around 70 presentationson research papers covering a widerange of topics relating to research anddevelopment highlighted the challengesand the progress made in this area.

Attendance at the conference was by invi-tation only and limited to researchers andkey decision-makers within the ATM com-munity, as well as to the authors of papersaccepted via a call-for-papers process.

Co-Chairs of the Seminar, SabrinaSaunders-Hodge (FAA), and ChristianPusch (EUROCONTROL ExperimentalCentre), opened the event. They werefollowed by welcome addresses fromJoan Bauerlein (FAA) and PierreAndribet (EEC).

The Seminar was unique in that it pro-vided 45-minute discussions on each

of the 70 papers submitted. Theresearch papers were presented overthe three days under the following ses-sion themes: Human Factors, Safety,Innovative ATM Concepts, Traffic FlowOptimisation, Decision Support,Airspace Management, EnvironmentalImpact and Mitigation, Metrics andPerformance Management, Air GroundCooperation and Airport Management.

Long coffee breaks and lunchtimesallowed the researchers to continuediscussions outside the sessions.

The last day was dedicated to plenarysessions, which started with a keynoteaddress by Peggy Gervasy (US JointPlanning and Development Office), fol-lowed by two presentations given byBo Redeborn (Director ATM Strategiesat EUROCONTROL) and SteveBradford (Chief Scientist forArchitecture, FAA-ATO) setting out theresearch priorities of EUROCONTROLand the FAA.

Mr Redeborn gave an overview of thefindings of the second version of theStrategic Research Agenda, devel-oped under the Advisory Council forAeronautics Research in Europe(ACARE), which highlights Europe’sresearch needs in the field of air trans-port systems over the next 20 years.He also presented the joint EURO-CONTROL/European Commission ini-tiative, SESAME (now known asSESAR), to develop a European

Master Plan for ATM research andimplementation.

Bradford presented the NextGeneration Air Transportation System(NGATS), which is currently beingdeveloped by the FAA, NASA, the USDepartment of Transport and four otherState Departments. The 2025 conceptfor “airport curb to airport curb” wasdiscussed in terms of capabilities andresearch needs.

On the same day, the traditional ‘BestPaper Awards’ were also presented.The Programme Committee selectedthe ‘Best paper’ for each of the ten ses-sions and the ‘Best Presentation’ waschosen by the audience. The EuropeanATM R&D Association EATRADA pre-sented two awards, for the most prom-ising technology and for the best uni-versity contribution.

The conference ended with presenta-tions by the session rapporteurs, whohighlighted the major findings andchallenges of each session. At the endof the conference, an Executive Reportwas produced, which is available onthe Seminar website: http://atmsemi-nar.eurocontrol.fr. This site containsdetails on all the Seminars held so far,including all papers and presentations,the keynote presentations, the list ofbest papers and other information.

The next Seminar will be held in June2007 in Barcelona, Spain. ■ ■

42

Datelines

Europe & USA holda Joint Seminar on ATM R&D

27-30 June 2005Baltimore, USA

By Christian Pusch,Research NetworkManager, EEC

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and

EUROCONTROL jointly organised the Sixth USA/Europe

Seminar on Air Traffic Management Research and

Development, held in Baltimore, Maryland (USA),

on 27-30 June 2005.


Entitled “Bottleneck or booster in thefuture ATM system”, the symposiumbrought together approximately 100people, including experts, project man-agers and decision-makers from policy,air navigation service providers, indus-try and research in order to discuss therole of airports in the overall air trans-port system. The objective of the sym-posium was to illustrate the current sit-uation at European airports and to elab-orate on the challenges and perspec-tives for the future.

With the number of flights predicted toreach 16 million a year by 2020, muchmore effort is needed in order to pre-vent airports from becoming the keybottleneck in the future air traffic man-agement system. Potential solutionsand their expected benefits were there-fore the subjects of presentations.

Professor Uwe Völckers, Director of theDLR’s Institute of Flight Guidance andhost of the Symposium, CesareBernabei, Directorate General ofTransport, Jan van Doorn, Director ofthe EUROCONTROL ExperimentalCentre, and Professor JoachimSzodruch, DLR, Board MemberAeronautics and Energy, gave the wel-coming addresses.

All speakers paid tribute to MrVölckers, who was soon to retire, for the

important contribution he has made toATM research throughout his profes-sional career.

The Symposium addressed the currentand future potential bottlenecks andchallenges. Likewise, the potential“boosters”, technical and operationalenablers, and institutional issues forfuture improvements were also the sub-jects of presentations. Advanced sur-face movement guidance and controlsystems (A-SMGCSs), airport collabo-rative decision-making and the new air-port planner role were highlighted aspossible solutions to address thecapacity crunch at airports.

The Symposium started with a specialsession on the most recent institutionalchanges in the European R&D contextand their impact on the technologysupply chain concerning airports.ACARE’s SRA21, the upcoming 7thFramework Programme, SESAME (now SESAR) and EUROCONTROL’sresearch strategy were all discussed inthis session. It was concluded with aview on European research policy, pre-sented by Professor Szodruch.

The four subsequent airport-relatedsessions discussed the views of thestakeholders, development goals andmeans, solutions and human resourceissues.

A technical tour of the DLR premisesand social events complemented the

technical ses-sions, givingparticipants theopportunity toestablish personalcontacts and discuss, inthe spirit of these symposia.

This Symposium was the fifth in a serieswhich started in September 2000 withthe inauguration of the renovated build-ing of the EUROCONTROL Expe-rimental Centre. The then Director ofthe Centre, Jean-Marc Garot, hadrecognised the need to bring togetherresearchers to discuss and exchangeresearch results on a regular basis.

At the same time, new institutionalarrangements were proposed by Janvan Doorn, then Director DIS, to intro-duce new working arrangements,including the ATM R&D Workshops.The aim of these was to complementthe R&D feedback loop (strategy – R&Dprojects – assessment of results –adjustment of strategy) and allow allstakeholders to discuss elements ofthis R&D cycle, to exchange ideas,thereby creating synergy within theR&D community in specific R&D areas.

As SESAR starts to take shape, it isenvisaged that this type of get-togetherof the key players in European ATMresearch will become an integral part ofthis key programme, which for the firsttime brings together all stakeholders ofthe European air transport system. ■ ■

43

By Christian Pusch, Research Network Manager, EEC

European ResearchManagement comestogether in Braunschweig

11-13 October 2005Braunschweig, Germany

1- The AdvisoryCouncil forAeronauticsResearch inEurope (ACARE),the second edition of itsStrategicResearchAgenda (SRA2)

Datelines

With the support of EUROCONTROL and the European Commission’s Directorate

General of Transport, the German Aerospace Research Centre (DLR)

held the Fifth European Symposium on ATM Research and

Development in October 2005 in Braunschweig, Germany.

Datelines

Datelines

Entitled “How can wake vortex separa-tion standards be revised?”, the work-shop examined possible changes tothe distances or times that must bemaintained between aircraft in flight asa result of advances in research onwake vortex – the swirling air left in thewake of aircraft in flight.

The International Civil AviationOrganization (ICAO) has establishedseparation standards between aircraftvarying from three to six nautical milesas a function of the aircraft’s weight cat-egory, in order to ensure that other air-craft do not get caught up in the wakevortex of the leading aircraft. However,given the significant progress that hasbeen made recently in understandinghow wake vortex behaves, the work-shop concluded that it is necessary toimprove wake vortex separation stan-dards so as to mitigate congestionespecially at airports while maintainingcurrent levels of safety.

This workshop concluded the three-yearprogramme of the EuropeanCommission thematic network WakeNet2-Europe funded by the DirectorateGeneral for Research and Development– RTD. The subjects presented and dis-cussed resulted from the outcome ofprevious workshops organised respec-

tively in 2003 at London Heathrow on“Wake data and safety assessmentmethods” and in 2004 in Langen,Germany on “Capacity gains as a func-tion of weather and weather predictioncapabilities”.

Participants at the workshop includedEUROCONTROL experts and research-ers, European research institutes, indus-try, air traffic management organisa-tions, regulators, airlines and airportauthorities and other bodies such as theFAA1, NASA3 and WakeNet-Russia.

Reflecting the very fruitful cooperationbetween Europe and the USA on thisissue, moderators and speakers fromboth sides of the Atlantic alternated insessions.

Session 1 of the Workshop point-ed out the need to improve the currentsituation at major airports. Speakersfrom airports and airlines described thedemand for more runway capacity andbetter regularity and punctuality inresponse to traffic growth or the impactof weather.

44

Datelines

On 29-30 November 2005,

the EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre,

hosted the third annual European workshop

on wake vortex research.

Wake Vortex Workshop

LHR = London Heathrow

Note: Main impact on London operations is due to adverse weather

Note: Primary cause ofarriving delays is stronglower winds

By Jean-PierreNicolaon, Wake Vortex Senior Advisor, EEC

Session 1

29-30 November 2005

Brétigny-sur-Orge,

France

1- The USFederalAviationAdministration

2- The NationalAeronauticsand SpaceAdministration

3- JointAviationAuthority

4- EURO-CONTROLSafetyRegulatoryRequirement


Airport benefit studies conducted forthe USA and Europe showed clearpotential benefits from ongoing proj-ects such as time-based spacing forsingle runway operation and reduceddiagonal separation for closely spacedparallel runways.

Session 2 explained the regulato-ry processes for establishing stan-dards. Specialists described individualprocesses to be used in order to com-ply with ICAO, JAA3, FAA and EURO-CONTROL requirements (ESARR4).

Session 3 addressed the require-ments for building a safety case with aview to revising wake vortex separa-tion. The elements discussed includedthe overall safety case argumentation,quantitative wake encounter riskassessment methodologies and vortexencounter severity analysis andacceptability.

Session 4 was devoted to casestudies of wake vortex safety assess-ment. The current practice at LondonHeathrow was presented as an exam-ple for consideration by projects aimedat maintaining runway capacity regard-less of weather conditions.

Time-based spacing was proposed as aresponse to significant headwinds toensure arriving capacity resilience. (1)

Large-scale wake vortex data collectionconducted at Saint Louis Missouri (USA)was analysed to show possible reduc-tions in diagonal distances betweenclosely spaced parallel runway approa-ches for medium and small aircraft. (2)

45

Session 4

(1)

(2)

��

DatelinesDatelines

A special session was heldby WakeNet-Russia presenting its wakevortex operational research pro-gramme and proposal for collaborationwith Europe and the USA. Takingadvantage of satellite positioning andADS-B5 communication enabling aircraft data exchange, Dr AndreiBelotserkovsky also suggested a jointinnovative research project for the inte-gration of wake vortex warnings intoaircraft avionics.

Session 5 gave the stakeholdersthe opportunity to discuss the wakevortex issues and express their viewson the current and future situation:

■ Pilots clearly recommended thatfuture work pay particular attentionto preventing an increased risk ofwake encounters at low altitudesand also suggested the develop-ment of onboard system detectionsystems.

■ Controllers recognised the clearconvergence towards operationaluse of the three different WakeNet-Europe workshops. “It is now time tomerge research and operationsmore aggressively” said Isa Alkalayfrom Skyguide, Switzerland.

■ Airlines and airport representativescited the need to increase capacityand provide evidence of a full safetycase. “Systems should be kept sim-ple to enable easy and safe day-to-day operations” said Paul Johnsonfrom NATS, UK.

■ Professor Winckelmans fromUniversité Catholique de Louvain(UCL) called for field trials to allowlocal safety cases and further refinewake vortex models. Relative safetycases were considered sufficientand more practicable than absolutetargets.

■ Industry reported that it can noweither provide the technology tosupport the operational changes orassist in gathering the necessarybackground information.

46

Wake Vortex Workshop

Special session

Integrated wake vortex safety system

Pilot displays

“The WakeNet2-Europe final document recommended

additional level studies to increase airport capacity”

5- AutomaticDependentSurveillance – Broadcast


Session 6 concluded theWorkshop.

Bram Elsenaar (WakeNet2-Europecoordinator from NLR) presented: “TheResearch Needs Document” as thefinal deliverable of the WakeNet2-Europe Thematic Network on WakeVortices.

With the aim of promoting theexchange of information between spe-cialists on wake turbulence and devel-oping a shared view on how to addresssafety and capacity problems causedby wake turbulence, the WakeNet2-Europe final “Research NeedsDocument” reported on the state of theart regarding wake vortices and recom-mended additional high-level studieson various operational scenarios pro-posed to increase airport capacity with-out loss of safety. These studies shouldbe extended into more detailed analy-ses taking into account specific sitedependencies in order to determinelocal operational scenario benefits andapplicability.

Recent research results had shownthat knowledge of wake vortex behav-iour was sufficient to allow implemen-tation of near-mid-term solutions iflocal wake measurements and opera-tional studies are conducted.Identified projects are:

■ reduced separation for take-off andlanding in crosswinds;

■ time-based spacing for landings instrong headwinds;

■ reduced diagonal separation formedium aircraft where there areclosely-spaced parallel runways;

■ visual separation for departure andarrival.

In order to enable robust validation ofWake Vortex projects, particular atten-

tion should be given to the followingrecommendations:

■ Site-specific data is necessary tovalidate wake vortex sub-modelsprior to demonstrating requiredsafety arguments for appropriateoperational concepts at individualairports.

■ Data collection, field trials and wakevortex detection and forecastingsystems should be implemented inparallel.

■ Incident reporting should be devel-oped to monitor wake encounters.

■ Longer-term research should inves-tigate wake encounter severity andacceptability. ■ ■

47

For a particular concept such as time-based spacing, validation will demonstrate the relevanceof working methods via real-time simulations, and safety requirements will be provided withwake vortex data collection at a particular airport in order to enable a formal safety argument tobe established.

Fusion of observationand forecast data

Definition ofhazard criteria

Extend to allweight categories

Validate in flight(e.g. with FDRs)

Can it be doneroutinely?

Probabilisticvalidation

Integrate for a specific (site-dependent) application

Good enough to guarantee safety & to increase capacity? OK

Standardisecharacterisation

Existing data to be made available& higher quality data needed

(Validation) of sub-models

NO

Ground effects& departures

Weather prediction Encounter severityWake strength& position

Safety Enhancement

Incident reporting

For site-dependentmonitoring

On-board detectionOn-groundreal-time monitoring

Fusion ofinformation in

the cockpit

For incidents: enrichpilot reports withother information

(ATM, weather, FDRs)

Improve routine FDR analysis Follow state ofthe art actively

Enhancecomplementarity of

Lidar, Sodar, Radar forall-weather operation

Improve 2 µm Lidarfor compactness

Improve 1.5 µm Lidarfor use with fibres

Is there a safetybenefit (e.g. all-

weather operation?)

Serious encountersin existing schemes

Datelines

The workshop was opened by GeneralBruno Nieddu, President of ENAV, fol-lowed by Christopher North, from theEuropean Commission Directorate-General for Energy and Transport, andJan van Doorn, Director of the EURO-CONTROL Experimental Centre. Overthe following two days, representativesof the Programme's partners presentedresults obtained which were then put inperspective by speakers from outsidethe Programme such as the FAA1,NASA2, the SESAR ExecutiveCommittee, IFATCA3, Airbus andAlitalia. The closing round table was anopportunity to further highlight the sig-nificance of the MFF Programme resultsas well as the remaining challenges.

MFF was a pre-operational programmeaimed at developing and validating

procedures for the future ATM opera-tional concepts within theMediterranean area between theEuropean core area and the States ofNorth Africa and the Near East. It wasconducted between 2000 and 2005 bya consortium led by ENAV (Italy) inpartnership with AENA (Spain), DSNA(France), EUROCONTROL, HCAA(Greece), MATS (Malta), NERL (UK),NLR (NL) and SCAA-LFV (Sweden).The MFF Programme was co-funded bythe European Commission within theTrans-European Network for Transport(TEN-T) framework. Its total budgetover the five years exceeded EUR 50million.

The main objectives of the programmewere:

■ to define operational requirementsand procedures based on the use ofnew CNS/ATM;

■ to identify technologies enabling theintroduction of ASAS4 operations;

■ to verify appropriate new operationalprocedures for controllers and air-crew in free route and ASAS scenar-ios through simulations and flight tri-als using specially equipped con-troller working positions and aircraft;

■ to pursue the exploitation and stan-dardisation of the new CNS/ATMtechnologies;

■ to define guidelines for the imple-mentation of ASAS operations inappropriate airspace.

As the Mediterranean airspace is atransition area between the core area(high-density traffic and good CNSinfrastructure) and the North Africanairspace (low-density traffic and poorCNS infrastructure), the MFFProgramme decided to evaluate thefeasibility of a large range of applica-tions leading towards user-preferredflight trajectories, and redistribution oftasks between controllers and aircrewin en-route scenarios for both FreeFlight Airspace (FFAS) and ManagedAirspace (MAS), and also to study thetransition between the two.

On the basis of an analysis of userexpectations and of current traffic con-straints, the MFF partners agreed tofocus on a structured series of increas-ingly innovative and challenging applica-tions designed to improve the manage-ment of air traffic in the Mediterraneanarea. Specifically, five applications to bestudied were identified:

■ Free routes application;■ Air traffic situational awareness

application;■ ASAS spacing application;■ ASAS separation application;■ ASAS self-separation application.

This classification allowed for a smoothprogression of different operationalconcepts towards innovative CNS/ATM concepts applicable to theMediterranean basin. The inclusion ofthe military in all the discussions fromthe start of the Programme should alsobe highlighted as a key feature. Therewere substantial contributions from theItalian Air Force, the EUROCONTROLMilitary Unit and subsequently theFrench DIRCAM5. The US Navy alsotook an interest at various stagesowing to their interest in Mediterraneanoperations.

48

Datelines

Mediterranean Free FlightFinal Workshop

On 1-2 December,

the Mediterranean Free Flight

(MFF) Programme held its final

workshop in Rome. It was an

opportunity for over 150, mainly

European professionals involved

in the development of ATM

concepts, procedures and

systems working for airlines,

air navigation service providers,

civil aviation authorities, industry,

international agencies,

military authorities and policy-

makers to get an executive

view of the achievements

of the Programme.

By Eric Hoffman, Sector Safety and ProductivityResearch AreaManager, EEC

1- The USFederalAviationAdministration

2- The NationalAeronauticsand SpaceAdministration

3- InternationalFederation ofAir TrafficControllers’Associations

4- AirborneSeparationAssuranceSystem

5- Military AirNavigationDirectorate


The MFF validation process was con-ducted using the structured MAEVA6

approach (now E-OCVM). Conceptsand procedures were validated againsta predefined set of validation objectivesthrough a co-coordinated and integrat-ed set of validation exercises. Theprocess was supported by the pioneer-ing use of the Validation Data Repository(VDR): it held the details of results fromall the MFF validation exercises mappedto the relevant validation objectives andorganised in accordance with the MFFOperational Concept application. Itenabled structured validation reports tobe produced throughout the project. Thevalidation exercises included ninemodel-based simulations and nine high-fidelity real-time simulations of bothground and airborne aspects whichwere conducted in Italy, France, theNetherlands and Sweden. It also includ-ed three successive safety cases. Theprogramme culminated in a series of liveflight trials over the Mediterraneaninvolving four aircraft for a total of 240flight hours.

MFF has published over 6,000 pages of official documentation which can be found on the MFF website(http://www.medff.it), and an evengreater quantity of working papers. TheMFF Final Report in just 80 pages pro-vides a very good summary of the proj-ect, its results and conclusions. At therisk of massive over-simplification, thesemay be summarised even more brieflyas follows:

■ Free route exercises carried out byDSNA globally confirmed what waslearned from Agency studies such asFRAP7. In particular there was noclear evidence from real-time simula-tions that significant capacity gainscan be obtained from systematic useof free-routing. In some cases safety

issues were raised, with vertical tran-sitions posing particular problems.ENAV simulation results were morepositive, indicating that subject tocertain requirements, the free routeconcept could be applied in medi-um/low-density airspace offeringsome 3% reduction in the mileageflown.

■ As regards ASAS spacing applica-tions, sequencing and merging wasjudged feasible, and within certainoperational contexts can have somebeneficial impact on controller work-load. Impact on pilot workload wasconsidered to be within acceptablelimits. ATM efficiency could beimproved with sequencing andmerging procedures if these wereassociated with appropriate airspacerevisions. ASAS passing procedureswere also well appreciated, particu-larly by pilots. On the other hand,ASAS crossing was poorly accepted,and the project concluded that thisapplication should not be cate-gorised as ‘spacing’ (as per POASAS taxonomy). The main factorwas the high closure rates associat-ed with crossing applications wherethe controller cannot be expected toretain responsibility for separationassurance.

■ ASAS separation was shown to beuseful in specific conditions (e.g. por-tions of the Mediterranean with limit-ed radar coverage). The lower levelof maturity of the application limitedthe depth of the safety analysis.There were particular problems inunderstanding the division of respon-sibilities between air and ground. The

issue of the exact values for airborneseparation minima (potentially lead-ing to inefficiencies) plus a number ofcritical points like the use of intent,the detection and recovery from fail-ures still remain to be addressed.

■ Finally, ASAS self-separation (freeflight) appeared to be potentiallyhighly beneficial. No show-stopperswere found even in challenging envi-ronments. This is the most advancedof the applications tested and repre-sents a genuine ATM paradigm shift.

In conclusion, the MFF Programme hasbeen an effective exercise in internation-al cooperation to develop Europeanconsensus on new innovative ATM tech-niques and technology options.

It enabled experts from all over Europeto cooperate in overcoming the opera-tional and technical hurdles in definingand validating future concepts and theirsafety implications. The Programmewent on to develop advanced simulationfacilities and new validation techniquesplus a live trials environment includingfully equipped flight test aircraft. MFFhas produced detailed results concern-ing the feasibility of a large range ofapplications leading towards user-pre-ferred flight trajectories, redistribution oftasks between controllers and aircrew,and making use of the possibilitiesoffered by ADS-B7 services. The poten-tial of ASAS spacing (sequencing andmerging) to improve the handling ofarriving streams of aircraft was con-firmed. The feasibility and benefit of aparadigm shift led by ASAS self-separa-tion were also reinforced. ■ ■

49

1-2 December 2005Rome, Italy

6- The MasterATM EuropeanValidation Plan

7- Free RouteAirspaceProject

8- AutomaticDependentSurveillance –Broadcast

Datelines

Why socio-economicresearch at theExperimental Centre?

Both government and industry are inte-grating into their strategies increasedattention from citizens, new consumeractivists and environmental groups. Bycommitting to an ethically responsibleway of doing business, a number ofindustrial sectors have even been ableto create a new method of governanceand to gain a real competitive advan-tage in a changing world.

Like other sustainable mobility sec-tors, the air transport industry facesthe challenge of building a construc-tive dialogue with stakeholders whoseinterests are not always compatiblewith the concept of sustainable devel-opment. In this context, air transportstakeholders, such as users, cus-tomers, citizens, decision-makersand, sometimes, "victims", require airtraffic management (ATM) to showmore organisational transparency.Therefore, ATM is questioning itsworking practices, business modelsand organisational culture.

Over the last ten years and in line withEuropean-Community policy, EURO-CONTROL has become progressivelymore active in taking account of airtraffic management's impact on theenvironment. Through the continueddevelopment of analytical tools,together with environmental studiesand research, the EUROCONTROLExperimental Centre (EEC) hasbecome a focus of excellence in themodelling and assessment of environ-mental impact, from a local as well asa global perspective.

During the search for strategic orien-tation, a need has been identified toconduct more research into the soci-

etal and economic aspects of airtransport. The Society-Economy-Environment (SEE) Research Area ofthe EEC is in charge of looking atthese societal, economic and envi-ronmental aspects. It aims to providethe air transport industry and policy-makers with an increased under-standing of these aspects and theirevolution in order to enable better-informed decisions.

Why a workshop?

Initial exploratory research over the lastfew years has produced a better under-standing of issues relating to society,economics and sustainability in air traf-fic management. There was a need todisseminate these results while show-ing how they interrelate to build a com-plex picture of the benefits and threatsbrought by air transport and air trafficmanagement to society.

To this end, the first SEE workshop wasorganised on 5 December 2005 at theEEC. It included an adversarial debate,with invited speakers, on the sustain-ability of air transport. The key objectiveof the workshop was to ensure the widedissemination of results while encour-aging an exchange of views and open-ness to outside debate. It was also anopportunity for increased networking ina research community whose memberscome from very diverse horizons.

The workshop aimed, in particular, topoint out to decision-makers that acommon effort should be made in orderto better understand and adjust thechanging world of air traffic manage-ment to meet the challenge of sustain-ability. By doing so, the SEE Research

50

Datelines

“The air transport industryfaces the challenge of build-ing a constructive dialoguewith stakeholders whoseinterests are not alwayscompatible with the conceptof sustainable development”

The EUROCONTROL ExperimentalCentre holds the first Society and Economics Workshop

By Nadine Pilon,Socio-EconomicResearchManager, EEC


Area seeks to actively contribute toidentifying new synergies and to fostercultural change within air traffic man-agement.

Presentations

The first part of the workshop wasorganised on the basis of sessions,each of which aimed to present thestate of knowledge in relation to oneaspect of air transport’s effect on socie-ty (the environment, the economy, soci-ety's perceptions), and then in relationto the complexity of integrating theminto the concept of sustainability for airtransport. These sessions includedpresentations of the following studiesinitiated by or involving the Society-Economy-Environment Research Area:

Debate

The workshop concluded with a“British-parliamentary-style” debate,with four speakers proposing andopposing the following motion:

The structure of the debate allowedeach "camp" to state their main argu-ments for and against the motion. Thisfirst phase was followed by a longexchange of questions, answers andstatements with the audience, andfinally a vote.

51

5 December 2005

Brétigny-sur-Orge,,

France

Proposing the motion

■ Le Thi Mai, Association ofEuropean Airlines, GeneralManager, Infrastructure andEnvironment, speaking in a personal capacity

■ Dominique Gardin,DGAC France

Opposing the motion

■ Jeff Gazzard,Green Skies Alliance

■ Mark Radka, United Nations EnvironmentProgramme

Session 1: Air transport and the environment

■ Overview of environmentalresearch at EUROCONTROL

Session 2: Economic aspects of air transport

■ The economic catalytic effects ofair transport in Europe

■ ATM market evolution resultingfrom deregulation

■ Economic aspects of intermodal-ity (MODAIR)

■ Evaluation of aircraft noise pollu-tion: A comparison of approach-es in the context of airport relo-cation

Presentations

Session 3: Societal perception of air transport

■ Analysis of European pressrelating to ATM safety

■ Politicians’ views regarding airtransport growth

■ Air transport growth: An insightinto the citizen’s view

■ Evaluating pollution from aircraftnoise

Session 4: Sustainable air transport

■ Environmentally sustainable airports

■ What’s new in sustainable devel-opment? Theoretical paradoxesand the problem of coordination

■ SUSTAIN: A framework for sus-tainable aviation

Debate

“This house believes that air transport can be socially, economically and environmentally sustainable in the short and long term”

��

�

�

Datelines

Arguments presented inthe opening speeches

Proponents

■ Air transport has a freedom-of-movement mandate from the worldcommunity.

■ Accessibility: mobility is a right, nota privilege.

■ Benefits of aviation in two figures:total aviation-sector contribution of$2,960 billion to world GDP and 29million people working for the avia-tion sector worldwide.

■ The world is not sustainable, buthuman and competitive organisa-tions find ways to survive.

■ The industry is able to mitigateimpacts.

■ Air transport sustainability requiresinternational cooperation, whichmust be organised by States.

■ Economic instruments can make acontribution, but the solution will bethrough technology and standards.

Opponents

■ Environmental problems are global,reflecting the character of our socie-ty as a whole: our current version ofcapitalism must sustain growth inorder to maintain capital accumula-tion.

■ The environmental impact of airtransport will not diminish.

■ We must do something about ouraddiction to fossil fuel; we have touse less.

■ Growth outpaces technology: everyyear for the next 50 years, there willbe approximately 1% fuel efficiencyper annum from engine and airframetechnology and more than 1%improvement from CNS/ATM. Growthin emissions is 3-4% per annum.

■ In the fight against climate change,air transport is in the front line.

52

Datelines

The EUROCONTROLExperimental Centre holdsthe first society and economics workshop

Main statements

Floor: New technology using other fuels will become available and aviation will be sustainable

Floor: Rail is not better in terms of fuel.Floor: The question should be “is society sustainable without air

transport?” It certainly is not.Opp.: The issue is not how much fossil fuel remains but the size of the

gaseous emissions we are producing today.(Prop.: Right of developing countries to develop.Opp.: Off topic.)

Floor: Regulation can change technology (e.g. Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4 for noise).

Opp.: Technology will not change quickly enough.

Floor: Flying is fun and therefore sustainable.Floor: What are the choices between emissions sources?Opp.: Reduce by 60 to 80% the ten tons of CO2 emissions produced

per year by every household in Western Europe by the middle of this century…

Floor: Pollution comes from the rich 5% who fly.Prop.: Some rich people suffer from pollution and still ask for airport growth.Prop.: We want 95% of the population to fly, but taxes will reduce the

flying population to 1%.Opp.: Taxes will not reduce the flying population; the growth will simply

be smaller.

Floor: Whereas low-cost aviation is not sustainable, business aviation could be.

Floor: Are there any credible industry-adaptation scenarios, such as fewer flights and bigger aircraft?

Prop.: 4% traffic growth produces only 2% of fuel growth, owing to the productivity benefits of airports, airlines and ATC services. If there was less money, these benefits would disappear.

Floor: There is a price at which air transport can be sustainable.Floor: Mankind finds solutions to the problem of stagnation.Opp.: The air transport industry is not sustainable; we require some large

systemic changes, technological advances and different approaches to mobility.

Floor: Sustainability is not definable: abstain.

■ Demand management: if we keepthe cost of flights at one euro plustaxes and charges, fossil fuel addic-tion will not change: a tax on air fuel,paying the social cost of the envi-ronmental impacts, would probablyhalve growth rather than stop it: 1%to 2% per annum.

■ Sustainability includes the short andthe long term. In the short term, airtransport today is not compatiblewith the drastic reduction of green-house-gas emissions required tocope with climate change: an 80%reduction from today’s levels by2012.

Main statements from the floorand their replies


Vote

Excluding abstentions, exactly half ofthe voters agreed with the motion andexactly half disagreed. This result wasrather surprising for some participants,as it seemed to reflect a societal trend ofgrowing environmental awareness whilerevealing contradictory forces inside theaviation community itself.

Lessons learnt

Air transport sustainability is not a sim-ple issue and there is no technical solu-tion; a lot of "soft" issues are involved, asthe objective is a collectively agreed bal-ance between contradicting outcomeswhich have effects on different temporaland geographical scales; this involvesspecific coordination between aviationstakeholders, one of which is society.Beyond factual reality, the more funda-mental political or philosophical facets ofsustainability emerged throughout theworkshop and were exposed during thedebate. They included opinions andbeliefs in relation to the prevalence ofshort- or long-term issues, trust inprogress and industry, fairness andequity between citizens, and societalchoices and responsibility.

The workshop, thanks to all the contrib-utors (organisers and speakers),allowed a level of reflection and think-ing beyond the one-way communica-tion achieved through presentations.The final debate brought about a wideexchange of views, going beyond theusual positions to come closer to thecore opinions of participants. Overall,

the participants were made aware ofsome of the debates which are takingplace in some areas of European soci-ety.

The positive reactions to this first work-shop and the high level of participationin the event reveal the interest for boththe socio-economic and sustainability-related aspects of ATM in air transport,and also for this form of dissemination ofresults. Many useful suggestions havebeen provided for improvement in termsof both form and content. Enriched bythis first experience, further workshopsare envisaged.

In conclusion, the workshop has pro-vided space and food for thought aboutsome socio-economic aspects of ATMin air transport and about air transportsustainability, contributing to EURO-CONTROL’s initiatives to improve theresponse of ATM to society’s expecta-tions. ■ ■

Special thanks to the workshop team:Véronique Prou, Elisabeth Plachinski,Pete Hullah, Béatrice Lapeyronnie,Patricia Cauwenbergh, and to all col-leagues from other services, in particu-lar Mark Whiteley, Martina Jurgens,Marc Brochard, Hervé Bechtel, WernerLembach, Catherine Gilleron and JuliaSanchez for their excellent work.

More information on the workshop can befound at:

http://www.eurocontrol.int/eec/see/public/standard_page/workshop_2005_home.html

53

Datelines

ATC Maastricht exhibition

EUROCONTROL once again partici-pated, displaying its key projects at a170 m2 stand. Visitors to the standwere able to watch the followingdemonstrations:

■ DMEAN – Dynamic Management ofEuropean Airspace Network

■ AOP – Airport OperationsProgramme

■ Safety■ FASTI – First ATC Support Tools

Implementation■ TCT – Tactical Controller Tool■ TBS – Time Based Separation ■ 4D Trajectory ■ FARADS – Feasibility of ACAS RA

Downlink Study■ ATM Learning Online ■ E-conferencing■ OATA – Overall ATM/CNS Target

Architecture■ SESAR – Single European Sky ATM

Research

ATC Maastricht conference

The 2006 ATC Maastricht Conferenceentitled “Reshaping Air NavigationServices for the twenty-first Century”examined the operational, technical,institutional and regulatory implicationsof global initiatives to provide safer andmore efficient air navigation services

for the future. It brought together keydecision makers from the ATM industryworldwide and enabled delegates tohear the views of industry leaders fromair navigation service providers, gov-ernment civil aviation departments,regulators, global safety organisations,airspace users, airports, military air-craft operators and all stakeholders –including controllers and pilots.

From the EUROCONTROL side, theDirector General, Víctor M. Aguado,delivered a keynote address at theConference entitled “Strong coopera-tion for enhancing air traffic manage-ment performance”. Other presenta-tions included “Progress towards a trulyflexible use of airspace” by AlexHendriks, Head of the Airspace, FlowManagement and Navigation BusinessDivision; “Dynamic Management ofEuropean Airspace Network (DMEAN)and “Releasing latent capacity inEurope” by Joe Sultana, Head ofNetwork Capacity Business Division;and “SESAR – a long-term strategy fora new European ATM network” by BoRedeborn, Director of ATM Strategies.

ATC Maastricht awards

Over the last five years the annual ATCMaastricht Awards has recognisedexcellence within the air traffic manage-ment industry and has raised awarenessof significant contributions to air traffic

safety, capacity and efficiency. This yearwas equally successful with a total of sixawards presented at the ceremony. TheContribution to European ATM Awardwas presented to EUROCONTROL’sPerformance Review Commission (PRC)and the Performance Review Unit(PRU), and was accepted by KeithWilliams, the PRC Chairman, and XavierFron, Head of the PRU.

Since their creation seven years ago,the PRC and PRU have turned per-formance review into a powerful reality.It is a widely held view that the PRC hasestablished an undisputed moralauthority. Its messages are acknowl-edged as authoritative, often leadingthe way on difficult subjects, including:independent study on ATFM, disclo-sure of financial information, US-Europecomparisons on productivity and effi-cient use of capacity.

More recently, the EuropeanCommission has invited the PRC toevaluate the impact of the SingleEuropean Sky initiative on ATM per-formance. It is a challenging task,which the PRC has agreed to take on.

The PRC has published many influen-tial reports and to date 62% of its rec-ommendations have been acceptedin full by the governing bodies ofEUROCONTROL. Others have beenpartially accepted or used to developactivities. ■ ■

54

Datelines

EUROCONTROL at Maastricht 14-16 February 2006

Maastricht

On 14-16 February 2006, EUROCONTROL took part in the ATC Maastricht Conference

and Exhibition. Over the last fifteen years, ATC Maastricht has become the industry’s

major annual showplace, attracting the world’s leading suppliers and buyers. More than

4,000 visitors – mainly senior and middle managers from civil aviation authorities, govern-

ment departments, air navigation service providers, airlines and airport authorities from

nearly thirty countries worldwide attended this year’s ATC event.

The purpose of ACE is to promote cooperationand coordination in ATM matters between theStates concerned as well as with ICAO, EURO-CONTROL, the European Union, airspace users,industry and international institutions (includingfinancial institutions). The ACE Memorandum ofUnderstanding was signed on 8 July 2003 by theDirectors of Civil Aviation of Bulgaria, Moldova,Romania and Turkey.

The main issues on the agenda included a reviewof progress made by the three ACE workinggroups (Framework for ANS, ASM and CNS) inwhich EUROCONTROL participates with observ-er status, developments at the EU with respect tothe implementation of the Single European Sky(SES) and the progress made by ATSA Bulgariaand ROMATSA with the Initiative for Creating thePre-requisites for the Establishment of aFunctional Airspace Block (FAB). There were alsoa number of presentations on ATM issues. EURO-CONTROL representatives gave briefings on airtraffic forecasts, FABs, safety, the SES from theNational Supervisory Authority perspective andregional ATM cooperation.

Ukraine was represented at the meeting and wasaccepted as the fifth ACE member. ■ ■

55Skyway 40 - Spring 2006

ReportReport

1- From left to right: Xavier Fron,Head of the PRU, Keith Williams,the PRC Chairman, and Víctor M.Aguado, Director General ofEUROCONTROL

2- Alex Hendriks, Head of theAirspace, Flow Management andNavigation Business Division,EUROCONTROL

3- Joe Sultana, Head of theNetwork Capacity BusinessDivision, EUROCONTROL

4- Bo Redeborn, Director of ATMStrategies, EUROCONTROL

2

3 4

1

The third meeting of theSteering Committee forATM Cooperation andCoordination in South-Eastern Europe (ACE)was held in Antalya, Turkey, from 30 November to 3 December 2005, under thechairmanship of Mr Haydar Yalçin,Deputy Director General of theTurkish Civil Aviation Authority

56

North Americaand Europe traffic figures

EU traffic to the United States United States traffic to the EU

110,000

115,000

120,000

125,000

130,000

135,000

140,000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Number of flights

0

500

LON-NYC

CHI-LON

LAX-LON

LON-WAS

NYC-PAR

LON-YTO

LON-SFO

EWR-LON

BOS-LON

LON-MA

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000Passenger numbers (thousands)

2004 2003

City pair

65%

70%

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

75%

80%

85%

90%Percentage

2004 PLF: 81.4%

Regional trends between Europe and North America

Total number of flights (departing and arriving)

Monthly passenger load factors betweenEurope and North America

The top 10 city-pairs by

region (as measured by total

passenger numbers in 2004)

have been sourced from

IATA’s On-Flight Origin-

Destination Statistics (ODS)

data collection, a monthly

collection representing 70%

of international passenger

traffic. Passenger numbers

for 2003 are also shown

for comparison purposes.

Sour

ce: I

ATA

US ATCA/EUROCONTROL Technical Symposium & Expositionsupported by NATO

6 - 8 June 2006, Brussels

Information and registrationwww.atca.org

Global Air Traffic Management:The Role of Europe

and North America

A unique forum for transatlantic ATM issues

● global ATM interoperability

● civil-military cooperation

● satellite navigation: GPS and Galileo

● technical, operational and economic developments

“We want to enhance the Organisation’simage and make its role, structure andfunction more widely known”, said YvesLambert, the Director General at thetime, in his first editorial. “We havelaunched a new communication strategywhich includes a large-scale pro-gramme of information sessions, newbrochures and increased participationat a variety of exhibitions.”

The magazine was seen as a pivotal ele-ment in the new communication strategyand its main objective was to presentEUROCONTROL’s latest projects andplans as well as to provide a forum forconstructive dialogue.

Over the past ten years, the editorialteam has continuously sought out waysto improve the magazine, making it akey communication tool for the Agency.

Published four times a year, Skywayhas focused on feature articles deal-ing primarily with specific domainsand covering key developments in airtraffic management rather than news

items. At the same time, the editorial pol-icy of the magazine has always been toprovide readers with the widest possiblerange of insights. To this end, Skywayhas given the floor to key players in theaviation community at large. Many peo-ple have been put in the spotlight andinterviewed, and their opinions regularlyreported. These have included: leadingfigures from international organisations,airlines and air traffic service providers,as well as air traffic controllers, pilotsand senior officials from the nationalauthorities and industry.

In a bid to be innovative and to alwayskeep our readers interested, since 2002each edition of Skyway has been devot-ed to a specific topic which is dealt within depth and from various perspectives.In turn, the editorial has increasinglybecome an important platform for theDirector General to provide his thoughtsand perspective on various topics while

58

Skyway celebrates

92 96 97 98 99

It was back in the spring

of 1996 when the old staff journal

known as SKYWAY was

transformed into a magazine.

This move was part of a series

of initiatives aimed at

improving EUROCONTROL’s

communications,

both internal and external.

ReportReport

10 years


highlighting the progress made and thechallenges facing the Agency.

Over the years, Skyway has gone fromstrength to strength: expanding its read-ership significantly (up to a current cir-culation of around 7,000 copies), bring-ing in new features and introducing agradual restyling involving the adoptionof a new format in 2001 and the intro-duction of a new graphic design andlogo in 2003. Furthermore, since 2002Skyway has been available online –reaching our readers faster and moreeffectively than ever before.

Today the magazine remains a keycommunication medium with which toposition the Organisation in the world ofair traffic management, keeping read-ers abreast of key developments in theAgency as well as in the aviation com-munity. Each issue of Skyway is a proofof this Organisation’s major achieve-ments as well as a source of informa-

tion and expertise in air traffic manage-ment, this being our Organisation’sunique strength.

The Skyway editorial team aims to con-tinue improving the quality of the maga-zine and is always exploring new ideas.In this issue of Skyway we are introduc-ing a new layout and two new sectionsentitled “SESAR” and “Industry News”.To mark the importance of the SESARprogramme, we will henceforth report onthe progress made in the DefinitionPhase of SESAR – the Single EuropeanSky Implementation Programme. The“Industry News” section will report on awide range of information items, includ-ing new appointments, statistics, devel-opments, new programmes, etc.

On its tenth anniversary, the Skyway edi-torial team would like to thank all thosepeople who have contributed articles

over the years and have been involved inmaking this magazine a success.

We would also like to take this opportunityto ask you to send us an email and tell uswhat you think of our magazine and whatyou would like to see in forthcoming issues.

We hope that Skyway has been a usefuland reliable source of information. For ourpart, we are still committed to introducingfresh ideas and adapting to meet our read-ers’ needs. ■ ■

Thank you!

Send your comments/thoughts to the SkywayEditor, Lucia Pasquiniat [email protected]

59

00 01 02 03 04 06

Report

Armenia has been a member of theInternational Civil Aviation Organisation(ICAO) since July 1992, joined theEuropean Civil Aviation Conference(ECAC) in December 1996 and

became member of the Joint AviationAuthorities (JAA) in 2003.

Civil aviationCivil aviation in Armenia is theresponsibility of the GeneralDepartment of Civil Aviation (GDCA)under the authority of the PrimeMinister and the Government.

ARMATS is the air trafficservice provider inArmenia. As enterprisesoperating in the field of civilaviation, both ARMATS andZvartnots International Airport areunder the regulatory control of theGeneral Department of Civil Aviation.ARMATS is an independent Statejoint stock company, while ZvartnotsInternational Airport is State-ownedbut is operated by a private interna-

tional company. Both companies arecompletely separate and independ-ent from the GDCA.

ARMATS provides air navigationservices, including air traffic control,communication, navigation, surveil-lance and aeronautical informationservices in the airspace of the

Republic of Armenia.The company wasfounded in 1997. In2003 the airports ofGjumry and Stepanavanwere also included in

the structure of ARMATS. This struc-ture facilitates the implementation ofcommon policies for the provision ofair navigation services in Armenia. Inturn, this set-up contributes to theenhancement of the safety of air traf-fic services and their compliance

60

Report

On 1 March 2006, Armenia became EUROCONTROL’s 36th Member State.

The formal application for accession, submitted in August 2002, was unanimously

accepted by the Organisation’s Permanent Commission in December 2002.

Armenia signed the EUROCONTROL revised Convention in December 2004.

Armeniajoins EUROCONTROL By Raffi Khatcherian, Project Manager, Stakeholder Implementation Service DAP/SIS

1- Zvartnotsinternationalairport

2- Zvartnots historical site

3- Yerevancathedral

1 2


with international and EURO-CONTROL safety regulatory require-ments.

In cooperation with the GeneralDepartment of Civil Aviation ofArmenia, ARMATS has spared noeffort in modernising its air trafficmanagement system in line withICAO and EUROCONTROL regula-tions and procedures. New air trafficservices routes have been imple-mented connecting south-easternAsia with Europe, and the MiddleEast with northern Europe and theCIS countries.

The accession of Armenia to EURO-CONTROL brings the Organisation’sgoal of a seamless air traffic man-agement system right across thecontinent one step closer. ■ ■

1998 ■ Convergence and Implementation Programme (CIP) Document

development in cooperation with EUROCONTROL

1999 ■ Publication of the first Local CIP of Armenia

2000 ■ Modernisation of the aerodrome radar “IRTISH” and exploitation of the

modernised en-route radar “TRLK-11” to provide double radar coverage

■ Modernisation of the VHF communication system and network and

exploitation of the “Mravyan” VHF remote centre

(at 2850m above sea level)

■ Modernisation of the Yerevan ATC Centre with the installation of a new

ATC system, EUROCAT-1000 (Thales), and a digital voice

communication system, TXM-44000

■ Installation of regional satellite-based voice communication system

“Phonesat” (EUROCONTROL VSAT system) to establish ground/ground

communications with the adjacent Area Control Centres (ACCs)

2002 ■ Start of the development and implementation of national regulations in

compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices,

together with the GDCA

2003 ■ Implementation of ICAO vertical separation using the imperial system

■ Airspace classification in compliance with Single European Sky and

EUROCONTROL requirements

■ Start of civil/military coordination

2004 ■ Integration of all navigation services of civil airports in “ARMATS”

and creation of a single air navigation service provider in Armenia

■ The start of the implementation of safety management system

■ Foundation of Aeronautical Information Services (AIS), NOTAM office

and integrated Briefing.

Publication of the first Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP)

of Armenia

■ Implementation of new information technologies in AIS, development and

publication of electronic AIPs in accordance with EUROCONTROL

requirements

■ Implementation of new ATC procedures in accordance with international

ICAO standards

■ Implementation of quality management system and certification of AIS in

accordance with ISO 9000-2001 international standards

2005 ■ Implementation of Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM)

■ Installation and modernisation of “NITA” simulator and creation of

“TOWER” simulator

■ Installation of a new ILS/DME CAT 2-3 at “Zvartnots” airport

■ Installation of P3D, a surveillance system based on multilateration,

to ensure stable double radar coverage and even triple coverage

for some portions of the airspace

61

MilestonesCapital: Yerevan

Population: 3,200,000

Area: 29,800 km2

Main airport: Zvartnots

Air passengers:1,089,643 (in 2004)

3

Industry NewsIndustry News

7 March 2006 – National AirTraffic Services (NATS), the UK’s lead-ing air traffic services provider, hasannounced the appointment of its firstwoman Director of Safety.

Gretchen Burrett, who ledNATS’ Human Factorsteam for three years andis currently Head ofSafety and PerformanceImprovement, is an inter-nationally recognisedexpert in human factors,

and respected throughout the industryfor her knowledge and leadership insafety performance.

Gretchen will take over on 1 April fromFergus Cusden, who is to becomeGeneral Manager of Luton Airport, towiden his general management andbusiness experience.

Montreal, 2 March2006 – the Council of theInternational Civil AviationOrganization (ICAO) electedRoberto Kobeh González as itsPresident, beginning 1 August 2006.He will succeed Dr Assad Kotaite andwill remain in the post until thePresident elected by the next Council inthe Autumn of 2007 takes up office.

62

Jerry V. Liston appointed as Chairman of the Irish

Aviation Authority15 February 2006 – JerryListon is Executive Chairman of TheMichael Smurfit Graduate School ofBusiness, UCD. He is Chairman ofBWG Group, Kevin Broderick Ltd.and Balcas Timber Ltd and is also aBoard Member of Glanbia plc.Previous Directorships includeDevelopment Cooperation Ireland,the Arthritis Foundation, NTR, LakeCommunications and the GreshamHotels. He was Chief Executive ofUnited Drug plc. from 1974 to 2000.

He is past Chairman and BoardMember of The Marketing Society ofIreland and past President, Chairmanand Board Member of the IrishManagement Institute.

Commenting on the announcementand welcoming the appointment ofJerry Liston as Chairman of the IrishAviation Authority, Eamonn Brennan,CEO said: “The Authority and Irish avi-ation will benefit greatly from thisappointment. Jerry Liston brings withhim an unrivalled mix of educationaland business experience at the highestlevel which will be invaluable to theAuthority in meeting the growing chal-lenges in aviation safety regulation andair navigation service provision.”

Roberto KobehGonzález electedPresident of the

Council of ICAO

NATS appointsnew Safety DirectorNATS appointsnew Safety Director

Madrid Baraja Terminal 4


3 January 2006 – TheAssociation of European Airlines,which represents 30 major airlinesin Europe, has announced thatWolfgang Mayrhuber, CEO andChairman of the Executive Board ofLufthansa, will be the Association'sChairman for 2006.

His appointment has been effective since 6 December 2005.Chairmanship of the JAAB is usually held for a term of four years.

63

Wolfgang Mayrhuber appointedAEA Chairman for 2006

The new Chairman ofthe JAA Board (JAAB)is Mr Thorgeir Palsson, Director General, Civil Aviation Authority Iceland.

5 February 2006 – MadridBarajas Airport opened the new €6 bil-lion Terminal 4 and its satellite, addingcapacity for a combined 35 million pas-sengers per year. The departure hall inthe main terminal holds 172 check-indesks, including two for special lug-gage, and ranks of shared self-servicekiosks. With a floor surface of 470,000square metres, T4 is 1.13 km long. Ithas 38 gates and can handle 20 millionpassengers per year.

The satellite terminal is 930 m. long,has a floor space of 287,000 squaremetres and boasts a capacity of 15 mil-lion passengers per year. It has 26gates, 16 of which feature double piers.The people-mover connecting the twobuildings covers a distance of 2.1 kmand can transfer 13,000 passengerseach hour. The new automated bag-gage system can handle 16,500 itemsper hour.

Outside, the road approaching themain terminal building has 12 lanes –six each for departures and arrivals – with three dedicated lanes for taxis,two for buses and one for private vehi-cles in each direction. The car parkholds 9,000 cars.

Two new runways also opened atMadrid Barajas, upping the airport'scapacity from 78 to 120 aircraft move-ments per hour and almost doubling itspassenger capacity to 70 million pas-sengers per year.

Madrid Barajas'Terminal 4opens its doors

The story so far

The purpose of SESAR – SingleEuropean Sky (SES) ATM Research –Programme is to bring together themeans to modernise the currentEuropean air traffic management (ATM)system and accommodate future air traf-fic with a high overall ATM performance.Its Definition Phase (2005 to early 2008),jointly funded by EUROCONTROL andthe European Commission (EC), willdeliver a European ATM Master Plan, theroad map of actions for implementation.

The Definition Phase is executed main-ly through a EUROCONTROL contractby a consortium representing the entireATM community, in order to obtain max-imum buy-in to the resulting recommen-dations. The Agency also contributessignificantly in terms of:

■ furnished deliverables; current orplanned results of its work to betaken into consideration in the differ-ent tasks; taking stock of existingknowledge and preventing duplica-tion of work;

■ effort to directly contribute to thework packages.

The Definition Phase contract wassigned in November 2005 with theSESAR Consortium, composed of 30companies and organisations (seelogo picture below), with some 20other associate companies and sub-contractors. Since contract signature,detailed work statements for the vari-ous work packages and tasks andproject management-related docu-ments have been finalised andagreed, including the Agency's con-tribution.

The work will be divided into six mainsteps and their key deliverables asillustrated in the figure 1 together withthe scheduled timeline (in months)from the actual start of work (T0), 7March 2006.

64

Skyway will keep you informedof progress and findings

SESAR Definition Phasework started

SESARSESAR


Consultation and communication

In the spirit of the project, some keycharacteristics of its deliverables are:added value, evidence of buy-in,absence of bias, documented rationaleand overall quality.

This is why the consortium isrequired to communicate extensivelyand create a sense of buy-in on thefindings and recommendations of itswork. A comprehensive Communi-cation Management Plan has beendefined which describes theprocesses and actions involved.Such communication will ensureawareness and buy-in within the par-ticipating organisations up to theexecutive levels, and must also reachnon-participating organisationsinside and outside Europe. In doingso, maximum use will be made of theexisting working, consultation andcooperation arrangements. In addi-tion, workshops will be organised foreach of the main deliverables.

As part of the communication process, Skyway will devote space to a report onSESAR in each upcoming issue and briefly present:

■ the work in progress and to be launched before the next issue, highlighting themain topics to be addressed;

■ achievements and deliverables since the previous issue and important facts oractions.

65

Airtransport

framework:The currentsituation

ATMperformance

targets

ATMtarget

concept

ATMdeploymentsequence

ATMmaster

plan

Workprogramme

for2008-2013

M1

T0+4 T0+9 T0+15 T0+19 T0+22 T0+24months

M2M3

M4M5 M6

In line with this initiative, the table below summarises the current situation:

Achievements

Work in progress

Next feedback

Milestone 0

Production of Milestone Deliverable D1 – Air Transport Framework – The Current Situation.

Scheduled delivery to Agency: 7 July 2006

The Milestone Deliverable D1 will capture the strengths and shortcom-ings of the current situation and “marketplace” and consider the majorfactors shaping and influencing the air transport industry today, suchas the macro-economic situation; public opinion and the expectationsand roles of, and relationship between, each major stakeholder group.D1 will document the current situation relating to each of the major sub-ject areas which make up the air transport industry today; theapproach to the conduct of ATM; the positive and negative aspectsassociated with all of the above and the activities which are already inprogress to improve the current situation in the short-term. The aim isto agree that this is the basis for the further work.

D1 Workshop: Mid-September 2006

Figure 1: SESAR Definition PhaseMain milestones and deliverables

Visits &AgreementsOn 6 February, Mr Marc Hamy, Director of AirNavigation Services, France, visited Headquarters.He was briefed on the Single European Sky implementation,SESAR and DMEAN. The briefing was concluded with a visitto the CFMU operations room.

On 3 February, the Director of the General Secretariat, Dr Gerhard Stadler, welcomed Dr Dieter-LebrechtKoch, Member of the European Parliament. Dr Koch and his delegation were briefed on the main activitiesof the Agency, focussing on international relations and safetyand security. The visit was concluded with a presentation onthe CFMU.

On 30 January, the Director of Air Traffic ManagementStrategies, Mr Bo Redeborn, welcomed a delegation from theU.S. Government Accountability Office.Discussions were held on the Single European Sky ATMResearch (SESAR) Programme, financial and legal aspects ofthe Central Route Charges Office and the PerformanceReview Commission.

On 25 January, the Director of the General Secretariat, Dr Gerhard Stadler, welcomed the U.S. SenateAppropriations Committee. Areas of discussionincluded the Central Route Charges Office and thePerformance Review Commission.

On 23 January, a delegation from the Japanese CivilAviation Bureau visited EUROCONTROL. Discussionswere held on the Overall ATM/CNS Target Architecture(OATA), the European Convergence and Implementation Plan(ECIP), Navigation, Mode S and Communication andSurveillance, including ARTAS. The visit was concluded with atour of the CFMU operations room.

On 6 January, Mr Tomás Bittar, President of the NationalAviation Administration of Paraguay (DINAC) visit-ed EUROCONTROL in order to establish closer relationswith the Agency. The President was accompanied by MrJesús César Rios, Deputy Director Air Transport andInternational Affairs, DINAC, Mrs María Liz Vivero de Bazán,Air Transport Manager, DINAC, and Mrs Inés MartinezValinotti, First Secretary, Mission of Paraguay to the EU.

Visits & Agreements

On 10 March, the Director General of EUROCONTROLreceived Mr Matthias Ruete, Director General ofDG Energy and Transport (centre). Various topics wereon the agenda, including relations between the EuropeanCommunity and EUROCONTROL, the Single European Skysupport for regulations, the SESAR programme and ATM safe-ty regulation.

On 6 March, Mr Jacques Barrot, Vice-Presidentand Transport Commissioner of the EuropeanCommission, visited the Maastricht Upper Area ControlCentre. �

On 28 February, Colonel Luc Vervoort, Head of the EURO-CONTROL Military Business Division, met with Lt. ColonelPantelis Christophorou, Military Representativeof the Republic of Cyprus, in order to discuss civil-military issues.

On 24 February, a delegation from the Situation Centreat NATO Headquarters visited EUROCONTROL. Thedelegation was briefed on the civil-military dimensionof European air traffic management, including securi-ty and the flexible use of airspace.

On 6 February, the Director General welcomed a delegation ofTransport Attachés, chaired by Mrs Ingrid Seyrlehner onbehalf of the Austrian Presidency. The delegation was briefedon relations with the European Community, the performance ofATM in Europe and the Single European Sky ATM Research(SESAR) Programme. The visit was concluded with a tour of theCFMU operations room.

66


Skyway would like to wish Pierre-Olivier Jeannet goodluck on his new adventure when he retires at the end ofMarch after an exceptional thirty-three-year career inEUROCONTROL’s Central Flow Management Unit(CFMU).

A graduate from two prestigious French “grandes écoles”,the Polytechnique and ENAC, Pierre-Olivier Jeannetworked for the French civil service before joining EURO-CONTROL in 1973 as an expert.

He will always be remembered for his exemplary contri-bution towards the creation of the CFMU. In 1989, he was appointed as ProjectManager and soon after took on the role of Head of Division when the Data BankEUROCONTROL became the CFMU Directorate.

This was at a time when Europe was suffering from significant traffic delays. TheInternational Civil Aviation Organization and EUROCONTROL devised a plan toaddress the situation, known as the Central Traffic Flow Management Organisation(CTMO) concept.

It was Pierre-Olivier Jeannet, under the then EUROCONTROL Director GeneralKeith Mack, who worked in a pragmatic and focused way to carry out this revolu-tionary pan-European project. To accomplish his mission, Jeannet needed a real-ly good team and he worked with various people, including Peter Schmutz, BrianMartin, Alex Vink, Jürgen Blume, Claude Leclerc and Gérard Lambert.

Together they produced a full report in six weeks – the famous CFMU’sImplementation Plan, better known as the “Bouquin Blanc”. The plan contained theentire set of blue prints for what would finally become the CFMU.

The Data Bank EUROCONTROL began to develop the necessary systems andworked out ways of providing new operational services. We all know the outcomeof this formidable work – CFMU tactical operations began in April 1995 and a yearlater, the CFMU went into full operation, providing the European ATM communitywith centralised air traffic flow management services.

Today the CFMU continues to evolve – adapting its services and introducing newfunctions and operations in order to meet the constantly changing demands of theATM environment.

Pierre-Olivier Jeannet has made a phenomenal contribution to this Agency. He hasworked hard and with devotion. Skyway wishes him all the best on his new journey! ■ ■

ReportReport

Farewell to Pierre-Olivier Jeannet!Head of the CFMU Engineering Division

In February 2006, the EUROCONTROL Agencyestablished initial contacts with the Belarusiancivil aviation authorities and the coun-try’s air navigation service provider,Belaeronavigatsia. Belarus is situated in apart of Europe where high traffic volumes areexpected. Different ways for further strengtheningthe cooperation between EUROCONTROL andBelarus, which is notyet a Member of theEuropean Civil AviationConference, were dis-cussed.

On 25 January, Massimo Fusco, Director of theCentral Route Charges Office, and Istvan Mudra,CEO of HungaroControl, signed a bilateralAgreement whereby the Hungarian air navigationservice provider entrusted EUROCONTROL withthe calculation, billing, accounting and collectionon its behalf of charges for terminal air navigationservices.

Photo: (left) Dr GerhardStadler, Director of theEUROCONTROL General Secretariat, meets Mr VadimMelnik, Chairman of the State Aviation Committee of theRepublic of Belarus

©© EEuurrooppeeaann OOrrggaanniissaattiioonn ffoorr tthhee SSaaffeettyy ooff AAiirr NNaavviiggaattiioonn ((EEUURROOCCOONNTTRROOLL))AApprriill 22000033

This document is published by EUROCONTROL in the interests of exchange of information.It may be copied in whole or in part, providing that the copyright notice and disclaimer are included.The information contained in this document may not be modifiedwithout prior written permission from EUROCONTROL.

EUROCONTROL makes no warranty,either implied or express, for the information contained in this document,neither does it assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy,completeness or usefulness of this information.

FFoorr mmoorree iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn,,contact EUROCONTROL External and Public Relations,General Secretariat Directorate96, rue de la Fusée, B-1130 Brussels, BelgiumTTeelleepphhoonnee:: +32 2 729 90 11FFaaxx:: +32 2 729 91 98

© European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL) March 2006

This document is published by EUROCONTROL in the interests of exchange of information.It may be copied in whole or in part, providing that the copyright notice and disclaimer are included. The information contained in this document may not be modified without prior written permission from EUROCONTROL.

EUROCONTROL makes no warranty, either implied or express, for the information contained in this document, neither does it assume any legal liability or responsibilityfor the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of this information.

For more information, contact EUROCONTROL External and Public Relations,General Secretariat Directorate96, rue de la Fusée, B-1130 Brussels, BelgiumTelephone: +32 2 729 34 20Fax: +32 2 729 91 98e-mail: [email protected]

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