Common Project 1 - A new European regulation ensuring the continuation of sustainable Air Traffic Management modernisation

The European Commission published today into the EU Official Journal the European Commission Implementing Regulation no. 116/2021, Common Project 1 (CP1), amending Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 409/2013 and repealing Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 716/2014 known as the Pilot Common Project (PCP). CP1 aims to steer Air Traffic Management (ATM) modernisation in Europe.

The CP1 Regulation will enter into force on the 20th day after its publication into the EU Official Journal, meaning on 22/02/2021.

The SESAR Deployment Manager (SDM), as the coordinator of SESAR Air Traffic Management (ATM) modernisation projects in Europe, will now break down the CP1 into a brand new SESAR Deployment Programme 2021, turning the regulation into a concrete manual to guide operational stakeholders on what has to be done, how, where and by when, with the aim of accelerating the digitalisation of European ATM towards a greener aviation industry.

Nicolas Warinsko, General Manager SESAR Deployment Manager said; “It is a truly historical day in Air Traffic Management modernisation as CP1 is a key regulatory stepping stone, ensuring the smooth continuation of ATM modernisation in Europe. I am proud that the SDM teams and our stakeholders have strongly contributed to feeding this regulation and will now ensure and guide stakeholder commitment in applying CP1 on day-to-day ATM operations.”

From PCP to CP1

The Pilot Common Project (PCP), whose deployment framework was overseen by SDM, represented a first exercise for common projects in the deployment of the Single European Sky. The 1st SESAR Deployment Programme, delivered in 2015, marked a significant milestone in ATM modernisation efforts, kicking off the Pilot Common Project deployment, and defined how Air Traffic Management in Europe could be modernised, namely through the coordinated and synchronised efforts of the European ATM community. SDM has played a leading role in the coordination, synchronisation and monitoring of SESAR Deployment projects in Europe.

While 2020 was impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, which has made the aviation industry face unprecedented challenges, the intense pilot phase of implementing new technological and operational ATM solutions will now evolve to Common Project 1 (CP1) accelerating the digitalisation of European ATM towards a greener aviation industry.

After an extended review of the PCP, the need to amend the Regulation was highlighted, with the goal of accelerating ATM modernisation even further and keep ensuring the buy-in of the ATM stakeholders. CP1 builds upon the achievements and the lessons learned from the pilot phase to continue the modernisation efforts of the European ATM industry and deliver a more scalable and environmentally sustainable ATM system.

Concretely, CP1 contains the ATM functionalities and sub-functionalities confirmed to be in compliance with the criteria defined in Reg. (EU) n. 409/2013, outlining two categories of functionalities:

1)     The ATM functionalities and sub-functionalities that have reached suitable maturity for their implementation, requiring synchronisation of activities and addressing the essential operational changes defined in the EU ATM Master Plan (MP). A specific implementation timeline has been set for these ATM functionalities and sub-functionalities, with the overall final implementation deadline set to the 31st of December 2027.

2)     The ATM functionalities and sub-functionalities that will not be ready for implementation by their induction into a common project yet are still considered to be essential components of said project, for which CP1 will enable the introduction of industrialisation target dates.

Nicolas Warinsko, General Manager SESAR Deployment Manager said; “The new SESAR Deployment Programme 2021, that we will deliver in July, will guide all aviation stakeholders on what, how and when modernisation projects need to be implemented in order to ensure a more sustainable digitalised Single European Sky.”

SESAR Deployment Programme 2021 and Planning View 2021

As for the former PCP, the SESAR Deployment Manager will continue to play a central role in managing and coordinating the modernisation of European Air Traffic Management, by ensuring that the CP1 regulation is implemented in a timely and synchronised manner. From March to July 2021, the SDM will elaborate and consult a new proposal for the SESAR Deployment Programme 2021: the document will represent the blueprint for all ATM investments to deploy CP1, defining a common roadmap and an agreed work plan for implementation in Europe and fully aligned with the content of the new CP1 regulation.

Moreover, the SESAR Deployment Manager will release the SDP Planning View 2021, a complementary document – to be updated yearly - that will further detail the content of the SDP. Through these documents, the SDM will continue the coordination of ATM modernisation in 2021 and beyond and will guide stakeholders towards successful implementation under the coordination of the SDM. Both documents will be released to the European Commission by the end of July 2021.

For a detailed overview of SESAR Deployment Manager’s role in the coordination and synchronisation of European ATM industry under the CP1 regulation, read our article here.