FAB CE reappoints Helios and Integra to run its Programme Support Office

The Functional Airspace Block Central Europe (FAB CE) has reappointed Helios and Integra to run its Programme Support Office (PSO) for the next 3 years. The PSO is a vital enabler to FAB CE’s work, helping to align it to Single European Sky and SESAR requirements, coordinate actions and track progress across priority programmes spanning business planning, technical harmonisation, common procurement and operations. In the first two years of support, the FAB CE programme was reviewed and updated in accordance with the latest requirements of the SESAR Deployment Programme (DP). FAB CE, supported by the PSO, has successfully completed the “Free Route Airspace from the Black Forest to the Black Sea” Study, funded by the European Commission’s Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) and was also successful in achieving INEA funding for its multi-applicant proposals in the competitive 2016 CEF Transport call, aimed at closing further gaps in SESAR DP implementation. FAB CE also completed its first smart/common procurement to upgrade its cross-border telecommunications network (X-bone) hardware and is currently looking at optimisation of the surveillance infrastructure. 

Comments PSO project manager for Helios, Dr Juraj Jirku: “This is fantastic news and goes to underline the effective support provided by my colleagues and partners over the last two years. Our team comprises ten of our most experienced experts, working alongside five experts from Integra.”

Adds Petri Hartikainen, Integra’s project manager and key OPS expert in the PSO team: “It is great to see that the work performed by the PSO team during the past two years has continuation, enabling us to further support the development of FAB CE and the associated Central European airspace of strategic importance.”

FAB CE Programme Manager Matej Eljon says: “The challenge for FAB CE over the next period will be to exploit the cooperative structures already in place and expand our cooperation further to fulfil requirements for new services foreseen by the SESAR Deployment Programme in the most cost-efficient way. We are looking forward to the ongoing support of Helios and Integra, and are confident of meeting the performance targets specified in the FAB CE Performance Plan.”