SESAR: A6 Alliance achieves significant results

Since the launch of SESAR 1, A6 Alliance members, together with their SJU partners, have achieved significant results: 25 SESAR solutions are currently ready to be deployed with a further 32 scheduled to be completely developed by the end of the SESAR 1 programme. This is the essence of the message brought forward by the members of the A6 Alliance of European air navigation service providers (ANSP) at the SESAR Showcase Conference hosted by the SESAR Joint Undertaking. The conference is taking place in Amsterdam from 14 -16 June as part of the Netherlands EU Presidency.

“Our results clearly demonstrate our commitment to shaping European air traffic management,” said Klaus-Dieter Scheurle, A6 Alliance Chairman and CEO of DFS. “Together with our partners within the aviation industry, we will continue to make the Single European Sky a success – for the benefit of the aviation industry, the European market and its citizens.”

From the start, the A6 Alliance has been a very active contributor to the first programme of SESAR development phase by validating a large number of SESAR solutions. A6 Alliance members have already put 17 of these into operation. Some examples of successful solutions involve arrival management and point merge, extended arrival management, time-based separation and user-preferred routings. A further 18 solutions will be deployed in the coming years; these include single remote tower operations for medium traffic volumes, target time of arrival concepts and advanced short ATFCM measures. Moreover, seven other solutions have been partially deployed at some A6 sites including multi-sector planning, continuous descent operations and free-route airspace concepts.

In the SESAR 1 programme, more than 200 SESAR R&D projects involved 1,200 experts from A6 members. The A6 Alliance managed a total of six work packages. These were: Target Concept and Architecture Maintenance (DFS); Validation Infrastructure Adaptation and Integration (ENAV); En-Route operations (DSNA); TMA operations (NATS); Airport operations (ENAIRE); Information Management (NORACON). The overall net in-kind contribution was about €200 million.

The A6 Alliance will continue to play an active and significant role in SESAR 2020, which presents a unique opportunity for Europe's air traffic management (ATM) partners to continue to provide ATM in the future that is viable, safe, efficient and environmentally acceptable. While the overall budget has been significantly reduced in comparison to SESAR 1, the A6 Alliance will participate in all 28 projects and will manage the development of 34 new SESAR solutions.

The A6 Alliance is a coalition of ANSPs committed to the modernisation of the European ATM system. It was founded in 2011 by the six ANSP members of the SESAR JU – DFS, DSNA, ENAIRE, ENAV, NATS and the NORACON consortium (including Austro Control, AVINOR, EANS, Finavia, IAA, LFV and Naviair). In 2015, it expanded to include PANSA, the COOPANS Alliance and B4 members; In addition, a cooperation agreement has been signed with skyguide. A6 is also a member of the SESAR Deployment Manager set up by EC to synchronize the deployment of the Pilot Common Projects (PCP). ANSPs associated with the A6 Alliance control more than 80% of European air traffic and make 72% of investments in the European ATM infrastructure of the future.