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SESAR
The European ATM Master Plan outlines the essential operational and technological changes that are foreseen to provide SESAR contributions (besides other initiatives) to achieving the Single European Sky (SES) performance objectives. It is the agreed European “roadmap” connecting research and development with deployment scenarios and is the key tool for SESAR deployments providing the basis for timely, coordinated and efficient deployment of new technologies and procedures.
Eurocontrol is the main driver behind the SESAR Joint Undertaking project: please refer to the SESAR Website for an update on the latest developments.
The plan contains roadmaps for the essential operational and technological changes required from all stakeholders (airspace users, ANSPs, airport operators, the military and the network manager). It provides the basis for the timely, coordinated and efficient deployment of new technologies and procedures, whilst ensuring alignment with ICAO’s Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBU) for global interoperability and synchronisation.
At its core, the ATM Master Plan is performance-driven, responding to the four Key Performance Areas (KPA) as set by the European decision makers. These are part of the wider set of ICAO KPAs.
- Environment
- Cost-efficiency
- Safety
- Capacity
To meet these performance objectives, the Master Plan proposes roadmaps of essential operational changes grouped around six key features selected for their capacity to best deliver performance benefits to one or more operating environments (i.e. airport, en-route, terminal manoeuvring area, and network).
These operational changes evolve through 3 phases, or “concept steps”.
Step 1 – Time-based Operations
is the basis of the SESAR Concept. It focuses on flight efficiency, predictability and the environment. The goal is a synchronised European ATM system where partners are aware of the business and operational situations and collaborate to optimise their operations. A prerequisite to Step 1 is the Deployment Baseline which consists of a set of operational and technical solutions that are already available and being deployed.
Step 2 – Trajectory-based Operations
focuses on a further-evolved flight efficiency, predictability and environment and adds capacity. The goal is a trajectory-based ATM system where partners optimise “business and mission trajectories” through common 4D trajectory information and user defined priorities in the network.
Step 3 – Performance-based Operations:
is to achieve the full SES performance requirements. The goal is the implementation of a European high-performance, integrated, network-centric, collaborative and seamless air/ground ATM system.
