SESAR proudly announces that the Initial 4D trajectory management flight trials lead by 6 SESAR members (*) have won Jane’s 2012 Enabling Technology Award, on March 5 in Amsterdam. Now in their twelfth year, the Jane’s ATC Awards recognize and reward excellence within the ATM industry. The jury included representatives from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Eurocontrol, the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the International Air Transport (IATA) and the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Association (IFATCA).

The world’s first Initial 4-D trajectory management flight trial was conducted within the SESAR technology validation programme, using an A320 test aircraft on 10 February 2012. Initial 4-D trajectory management combines conventional three-dimensional data with time estimates computed by aircraft. Blended together, this data pinpoints aircraft positions accurately and predictably.

(*) Eurocontrol, Airbus, Noracon, Honeywell, Indra, Thales