Modernising Air Traffic Management As One
Brussels, Tuesday 31 May 2022 – Today the new consortium behind the SESAR Deployment Manager (SDM) was officially appointed by the European Commission and will start on 1 June. This new consortium takes over from the SESAR Deployment Alliance, who has been successfully executing the role of SESAR Deployment Manager since 2014. The new consortium (SDIP – SESAR Deployment & Infrastructure Partnership) with the EUROCONTROL Network Manager as the consortium coordinator, will be located in Brussels at EUROCONTROL’s headquarters. On this occasion, the SESAR Deployment Manager launched its new credo: ‘Modernising Air Traffic Management As One’ set out for this new mandate until 31/12/2027.
European Commission Director-General for Transport, Henrik Hololei, said:
“Modernising Europe’s air traffic management infrastructure is central to meeting our sustainability objectives, and ensuring long-term resilience within the aviation sector. The success of the SESAR project depends on strong partnerships, which, in these challenging times for aviation, have also helped to strengthen resilience. I would like to offer a warm welcome to the new SESAR Deployment Manager, the renewed and highly motivated partnership, working alongside the EUROCONTROL Network Manager and bringing together innovation and operational needs.”
Mariagrazia La Piscopia, Executive Director SESAR Deployment Manager:
“I am very thankful that we received the trust of the European Commission today by signing this Framework Partnership Agreement. Together with the buy in of our stakeholders and the commitment of our members, I truly believe we have created the necessary framework to continue, strengthen and improve Air Traffic Management modernization through SESAR deployment as one team.”
“My first priority will be to further build this solid and durable partnership starting from our stakeholders, the people involved in ATM, based on respect, transparency and fairness. Working as one is the only way to create a digital and sustainable ecosystem that can meet up to the expectations and challenges ahead in aviation.”
“We now have one complete partnership, which is a key instrument to transform the vision of the Single European Sky into an operational reality. The strengths of the four parties involved in European Air Traffic Management modernisation (Airlines, Air Navigation Service Providers, Airports and the EUROCONTROL Network Manager) have been put together ensuring trust, consensus and buy-in from the investing stakeholders.”
“After 7 years of intense work, for which I want to personally thank my predecessors Massimo Garbini and Nicolas Warinsko in leading the way, it is now time to embrace the lessons learned and continue to strengthen and improve the SESAR deployment function to the benefit of all.”
“By securing the full involvement of the EUROCONTROL Network Manager which will enable us to use the full potential, strength and skills of this new partnership to make the difference in ATM modernization and digitalization, we have now closed the loop which creates the necessary framework to ensure permanent commitment to a timely and synchronized SESAR deployment in Europe. All acting as one team to the benefit of European passengers, citizens, economy and environment.”
Eamonn Brennan, Director General at EUROCONTROL said: “I am delighted to welcome the new partnership for the SESAR Deployment Manager with EUROCONTROL as consortium coordinator to our premises. EUROCONTROL forecasts predict 13.8 million flights in the Network by 2030 – a development that urgently needs us to accelerate the deployment of new technologies that can modernise and digitalise air traffic management to increase capacity and make aviation in Europe more efficient, resilient and more sustainable.”
Modernising Air Traffic Management As One is not only the new tagline but also the credo of the new SESAR Deployment Manager, one team standing ready to continue Air Traffic Management modernisation to the benefit of all.
The new consortium behind SESAR Deployment Manager represents all perspectives and standpoints of the stakeholders involved in SESAR deployment:
- 4 Airlines: covering 3 million flights with around 500 million passengers per year (one third of the overall European passengers);
- 14 Air Navigation Service Providers: controlling around 80% of flights in the European Union, as well as all major traffic flows operated in Europe, so around 8 million flights per year;
- Airports: ACI Europe representing over 500 airports across 55 countries, able to provide the full airport operational perspective;
- EUROCONTROL Network Manager: the best placed to provide a network-wide view, both in terms of technological deployment but also in terms of operational interoperability to ensure seamless functioning of the European ATM network.
Please find here the news release of the European Commission:
https://transport.ec.europa.eu/news/sesar-deployment-and-infrastructure-partnership-takes-over-new-sesar-deployment-manager-2022-05-31_en