Being bold to become better

At conferences, meetings and bilateral discussions, everywhere I go, stakeholders agree on the imperative of boosting the performance of air traffic management in Europe – striving for greater efficiency, sustainability, resilience, safety and security. They share a common understanding of where, as an industry, we want to be. They also agree that we need to align on intricate specifics and sustained coordination to accelerate change to cope with growing traffic complexity and diversity, climate impact and evolving security threats.

This is where the next edition of the European ATM Master Plan comes in. In July 2024, we published our proposal after a campaign that has galvanised the collective efforts of stakeholders across the ATM value chain over the last months. The campaign has left no stone unturned and has delivered a powerful tool to effect transformative change.

Let’s take a look at some of the key elements of the plan.

Starting with the vision. The plan is to deliver the Digital European Sky and to make Europe the most efficient and environmentally friendly sky to fly in the world. By 2045, all flights will be optimised from gate to gate through continuous connectivity between air-ground and ground-ground operations, and one single trajectory shared among all stakeholders. European air traffic management will make its contribution to the decarbonisation of aviation, by avoiding any unnecessary fuel burn while also improving performance on non-carbon dioxide (CO₂), noise and local air quality. The system will be fully scalable and resilient, ready to adapt to fluctuating traffic demand, accommodating the growing diversity of aircraft, including zero-emission aircraft, drones and air taxis, while achieving the highest safety and security levels. ATM will be fully integrated into a multimodal transport system, in which air and other modes like rail are planned and managed in a coordinated manner to maximise efficiency, predictability and deliver to passengers the best possible door-to-door journey.

A greater emphasis on digitalisation and the environment are the central focus of the plan, which outlines five transformation levers for accelerating this change, namely:

• More precise and continuous trajectory-based operations, whereby data-enriched flight plans will allow aircraft to navigate along fuel-saving routes facilitated by ATM. The switchover to trajectory-based operations is already underway and the aim is to see trajectory-based operations adopted by all stakeholders and across all European airspace.
• Greater data volumes through better communication air-ground and ground-ground. The use of machine learning, artificial intelligence and big data analytics will enable ATM to operate smarter and safer.
• Higher levels of automation, between flight crews and the ground. Voice communication is no longer the primary means of communication as most routine tasks are managed through machine-to-machine applications. The use of datalink and multilink technologies will enable swifter exchanges of mission-critical data. Certain phases of a flight will be fully automated.
• Human-machine teaming, whereby air traffic controllers, air traffic safety electronic personnel, flight crew and operators, and so on, team up with the machines to deliver the highest quality of service.
• Dynamic airspace configuration to handle complex traffic in near real-time in both nominal and non-nominal situations.

Added to these levers is a move to a more data-driven, and cloud-based service-oriented architecture (SOA) delivery model, consigning the current monolithic infrastructures to history once and for all! This new approach “from assets to services” will allow for quicker deployment of new features, while improving interoperability in operations, airspace and technology across air navigation service providers. I am delighted to see that the ATM community is backing the move.

How do we make all of this a reality? Well, by getting a consensus on WHAT needs to be done and by WHEN. Starting with the WHAT. Our updated vision of the Digital European Sky places greater emphasis on deployment. The SESAR project has already delivered over 130 solutions, many of which are already deployed today across Europe and elsewhere. These deployments, notably the Common Project 1, have already brought tangible benefits. Now we want to accelerate that deployment and focus on the solutions that will bring the biggest benefits overall. We are confident that the 10 strategic deployment objectives (SDO) identified during the campaign will provide important direction for future investments and regulatory decision-making.

Of course, a plan is also about the WHEN. The Master Plan is structured into phases to ensure smooth and systematic implementation. The plan outlines where – and by whom – the 10 strategic deployment objectives should be implemented by 2035. At the same time, the plan details 12 development priorities for new challenges that are just over the horizon, such as integrating the new zero-emission aircraft and enabling innovative air mobility operations to become routine. These will form the basis of future SESAR calls as from 2025. All this with a view to full deployment of the Digital European Sky by 2045.

Our aim with the campaign has been to mobilise stakeholders so that we pick up the pace of change and reap the rewards sooner rather than later. Our number crunching shows important gains across the board, which will be fully realised by 2050. It is estimated by 2050 that every euro invested in deploying SESAR Solutions will result in a return on investment for SESAR investors of at least €17, increasing to €53 taking into account the broader socio-economic benefits for Europe. These benefits extend to all stakeholders, airports, airspace users and air navigation service providers, both civil and military, and ultimately the passenger and society.

Of course, the environment is a central concern of the plan, and the projections in this regard are promising. First and foremost, we aim to eliminate any negative climate impacts of air traffic management, both on the ground and in the air. We estimate that 400 million tonnes of CO₂ could be saved with the roll-out of the plan by 2050. This amount is close to three years' worth of total CO₂ emissions from aviation in Europe. Our commitment to sustainability goes beyond just reducing CO₂ emissions. It’s also about minimising the total climate impact of aviation, including non- CO₂ emissions, addressing noise pollution, and improving local air quality.

With any plan there are some conditions that have to be met for it to be successful. First, we need a regulatory framework, both economic and technical, that is fit for purpose. As the technological pillar of the Single European Sky initiative, we are working hand-in-hand with the other pillars to promote investment in the priority areas that I mentioned. Second, we need to encourage early movers and financial instruments that provide “sandboxes” like our Digital Sky Demonstrators that allow stakeholders to validate solutions at scale under operational conditions. Third, we need to keep everyone mobilised, from the academic and research communities, to operational actors, to work on the next generation of solutions and innovations that will be needed. For all of this, we count on our strong collaboration with EUROCONTROL and its expertise in innovation, network management, civil-military coordination, environment, etc., to deliver the Master Plan!

What’s next for the Plan? In December 2024, we expect the plan to be formally adopted by the 57 members of the SESAR Joint Undertaking, including the European Union, EUROCONTROL and the entire ATM community. But the plan is not just a desktop exercise, it is more than a strategic document; it is a collective commitment to transform the future of air traffic management.

I have been told that our vision is very ambitious, even science fiction! I agree that it is ambitious but what’s the alternative when you consider the challenges that we face – traffic growth, congestion and sustainability? These challenges won’t go away, they will only grow. So we have to be bold, we have to want better! By accelerating change and fostering sustained commitment and cooperation among all stakeholders, we can realise a future where ATM is safer, more secure, more efficient and environmentally responsible, and keep Europe at the forefront of global air transport.

Stay tuned for more on the Master Plan