Single European Sky: ETSI announces its first Community Specification for European Air Traffic Management

This specification (EN 303 212), one of a series being developed in support of the European Union initiative to enhance the capacity and safety of European airspace, was published by ETSI on 1 June. It is a significant first step towards achieving the goals of the Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research (SESAR) initiative: a 3-fold increase in capacity with a safety performance improvement by a factor of 10, a 10% reduction in environmental impact and a 50% reduction in costs The A-CDM concept enables airlines, ground handlers, air navigation service providers and airports to work together efficiently to share data, thereby providing all the involved airport partners with the same view of airport operations. All concerned with airport operations are therefore in a position to make accurate, timely and consistent decisions. Under the terms of the European Commission's Interoperability Regulation 552/2004 (amended by Regulation 1070/2009) for the Single European Sky, systems, procedures and constituents which meet this Community Specification are presumed to be compliant with the essential requirements of the regulation and the relevant implementing rules. The publication of this European Standard, and its reference in the OJEU as a Community Specification, will therefore facilitate the deployment of the A-CDM concept in Europe's airports. The Single European Sky legislation was adopted in 2004. It is based on a framework of four regulations, the Interoperability Regulation being one of them. The objective of the regulation is to ensure interoperability of the European Air Traffic Management Network (EATMN), consistent with air navigation services. ETSI is preparing other Community Specifications for use under the Interoperability Regulation. These will include standards for the Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS, to assure the safe movement of vehicles and aircraft on the ground at airports) and Data Link Services (DLS). Other work under the umbrella of the European Air Traffic Management Master Plan is scheduled to begin later this year.