Helios chosen for €10m SES support contract

The European Commission has awarded aviation consultancy Helios a four-year framework contract of up to EUR 10 million to support the work of three groups key to the implementation of the Single European Sky (SES): the Industry Consultation Body (ICB), the NSA Coordination Platform (NCP) and the Expert Group on the Social Dimension of SES (EGSD). The contract comes at a critical time in policy development for SES, when innovation and ongoing commitment are needed to tackle priority SES topics such as the evolution of the Performance Scheme, the deployment of SESAR, technical challenges such as RPAS and cyber-security, and the revision of the regulatory framework for safety.

Commenting on the win, Paul Ravenhill, Technical Director for Helios, said: “This continues and extends our long-standing work for the ICB, and is testament to the job we have done for them over the last ten years. We are immensely proud of our staff who, every day, are engaged in ATM strategy and policy work covering operational, technical and economic matters. As a consultancy we work hard to maintain our independence, and this will be a key factor of our support function.”

In accordance with the requirement of the call, bringing the support functions together under one contract will help to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the support provided. This will minimise duplication of effort in administrative and technical areas and provide opportunities for innovation. The Helios offer elaborates on this and contains a well thought-out approach to consensus building among members of the individual groups and a clear strategy for furthering the work of each group.