SESAR Deployment Manager signs MoU with ETSI for European Air Traffic Management modernization

Sophia Antipolis, 27 July 2020

SESAR Deployment Manager (SDM) has recently signed an MoU with ETSI, namely to participate to the ETSI technical group making standards for aeronautics (TG AERO). SESAR aims at the modernization of Europe’s Air Traffic Management (ATM), crucial for the sustainability of European aviation and the forecasted increase in air traffic by 2035 (pre covid-19 forcast). SDM synchronizes and coordinates the deployment of common projects, translating the regulatory requirements to the industry.

The air traffic management world is evolving, and there needs to be a bridge between the existing reliable technology that has been in place for many years and the ability to introduce new technology. For instance, Data Link Services (DLS), standardized by ETSI is being implemented for the digital exchange of information between aircraft and ground. Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B), complementing radar is also being standardized by ETSI.

Air traffic management and universal transverse Mercator (UTM) integration is also a topic to address. Indeed, the bulk of the traffic controlled by a human could be managed by Artificial Intelligence with the human to make decisions in critical situations. 

This Memorandum of Understanding will help exchange information on the needs for standards supporting deployment of SESAR, identifying those that already exist in ETSI and potential gaps to ensure alignment between the deployment programme and the ETSI work programme.