EU to support ANSPs’ IDP Implementation project

The European Union will co-finance, with over €45 million from the Trans European Network (TEN-T) Programme, the ANSP IDP Implementation project to coordinate delivery of improved European ATM network performance and end user benefits.

The project, which involves some of the major Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) in Europe, was selected for TEN-T support under the 2012 TEN-T Multi Annual Call.  It consists mainly of a multinational implementation of key technological enablers and procedures, in alignment with the Interim Deployment Programme (IDP), developed by the Interim Deployment Steering Group (IDSG) and approved by the Single Sky Committee.

The IDSG is the expert group created by the European Commission to steer the deployment of short term implementation activities identified in the IDP as critical to provide early benefits to ATM Network performance, until the SESAR Deployment governance is in place.  It includes designated experts from the civil and military ATM operational stakeholders (Mil, ANSPs, Airspace users, Airports), the Network Manager (NM), EASA and the SESAR JU (SJU).

The IDP implementation project involves the commitment of leading ANSPs and ATM engineering companies in Europe: ENAV (Italy), as coordinator, AENA (Spain), DFS (Germany), DSNA (France), MATS (Malta), NATS (UK), NAV PORTUGAL, FINAVIA (Finland), LGS (Latvia), DCAC (Cyprus), EANS (Estonia), and INECO, including representations of 5 different FABs: BLUEMED, SW FAB, FABEC, UK Ireland FAB and NEFAB.

This wide representation of the ANSP community ensures extensive geographical scope and will foster timely IDP implementation throughout Europe.

Since most of the members are involved in IDSG activities, this is also expected to enhance the IDSG’s work and ensure an effective handover to the future SESAR Deployment Manager.

The A6 Alliance, which submitted the proposal for TEN-T funding together with MATS (Malta), NAV PORTUGAL, DCAC (Cyprus), is key to achieving this important goal, through the coordination role carried out by ENAV, Italy’s ANSP. This reaffirms the A6’s leading role in ANSP participation in planning and coordination activities of the SESAR Deployment.

The A6 alliance is formed of the six ANSP members of the SESAR JU – Aena (Spain), DFS (Germany), DSNA (France), ENAV (Italy), NATS (UK) and NORACON – a consortium including Austro Control (Austria), AVINOR (Norway), EANS (Estonia), Finavia (Finland), IAA (Ireland), LFV (Sweden) and Naviair (Denmark). Collectively the A6 Alliance members control over 70% of European air traffic and 72% of the investment in the European Air Traffic Management infrastructure of the future.