Air Traffic Alliance Company Center

Corporate structure In 2002, EADS, Airbus and Thales launched an industry initiative for a more efficient ATM system by creating the Air Traffic Alliance. In June 2003, the Air Traffic Alliance integrated its activities into a single company, the Air Traffic Alliance EIG (Economic Interest Group). Capabilities One of the Air Traffic Alliance's objectives is to drive the implementation of both a pragmatic and an innovative ATM modernisation programme, leading to the rapid deployment of a network-integrated ATM system in support of the Single European Sky while being fully interoperable with other regions of the world. Projects SESAR, the Single European Sky programme: in 2003 the Air Traffic Alliance set out its vision for the support of the operational implementation of the Single European Sky Legislation to the European Commission (EC). The SESAR initiative, the name given to the air transport proposal, unites the leading players of the manufacturing industry in Europe, numerous airlines, ANSPs and airports and is now a collective project for the future of the European ATM System. SESAR will allow the research and validation of new and interoperable air traffic solutions with aircraft, avionics, satellites, ground ATM systems and airport/airline operation systems forming one single system. This programme will also include the validation of the most appropriate air and ground global standards, regulations, legislative and financial packages. The SESAR Definition Phase study jointly funded by the European Commission and Eurocontrol is the initial step of the programme and has started in March 2006. It will deliver the ATM master plan until 2020 as well as the work programme for the first five years of implementation. The ATM master plan will define what actions (operational concept, research and development) are required to create an ATM infrastructure fulfilling the requirements in terms of capacity, safety and efficiency by 2020. The first Deliverable of the study has been published on the 31st of July (and can be downloaded from the consortium web site www.sesar-consortium.aero). The Air Traffic Alliance supports the global interoperability approach through the SESAR project as well as through its agreement with Boeing, which addresses several ATM concepts such as Required Navigation Performance (RNP)/Area Navigation (RNAV), GPS Landing System (GLS), Communication, Operational Safety Assessment, Airborne Separation Assurance System (ASAS) and 4D-Trajectory Definition. In particular, participation to GATI project is currently being finalised. The Tailored Arrivals flight trials project is a cooperation between the Air Traffic Alliance, Boeing, Airservices Australia and Qantas, which has led to a 6-month trial involving more than 70 flights at Sydney and Melbourne airports, Australia. The trial has found that through a better use of existing equipment on board the aircraft and increased air-ground cooperation, a significant gain in efficiency can be achieved in terms of fuel burn as well as noise and emission in the areas surrounding the airports. Next steps of the project are currently being discussed. Further phases are currently defined with ANSPs facing different operational constraint to farther validate the added value of Tailored Arrivals.

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Last update by Sylvie SUREDA PEREZ, Fri 15 Sep 2006