On 29-30 April, FLY AI partners* organised a two-day conference to explore the latest developments and deployments of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in aviation. Hosted by FLY AI partner, EUROCONTROL, the conference included updates from the European Commission on AI regulatory matters, the discussion of practical-use cases of AI benefits to aviation, an exhibition of projects and success stories, and an overview of ongoing research and training activities.
Opening a dedicated session on research, Andreas Boschen, Executive Director of the SESAR JU, noted the rapid evolution of applications enabled by artificial intelligence and underlined the importance of carefully assessing the opportunities of AI for air traffic management, while addressing trustworthiness, transparency and safety assurance. “These considerations are driving SESAR research and our collaboration with all European partners. The alignment of research with the EASA AI Roadmap and the AI concept paper are testimony to this,” he said.
AI has been the focus of innovation in SESAR over the last decade, which has shown how machine learning applications can help to optimise ATM systems, making them more sustainable, better performing and more resilient.
A good example is the use of machine learning for highly reliable automatic speech recognition in air traffic control, combining language models with airspace and radar data. The concept was initially investigated within the exploratory research projects, MALORCA and HAAWAII, and then went on to be validated, as part of the industrial project (PROSA and PJ10-96), delivering a solution which is now being deployed by several air navigation service providers in Europe. In the context of U-space, AI is a key enabler for safely operating the projected drone traffic in our urban and rural environment. Read the CORDIS Results Pack about AI in ATM.
Research and innovation continues in the SESAR Digital European Sky programme with a portfolio of projects, many of which presented their activities during the main conference and exhibition. Some applications in include airport and tower surveillance (TRUSTY), certification (HUCAN), traffic hotspots (ASTRA, HARMONIC), smart sectorisation (SMARTS), drone operations (AI4HyDrop) digital assistants (JARVIS, DARWIN), dynamic reconfiguration of airport resources (FASTNet), multimodality (MAIA and MULTIMODX), and forecasting ( KAIROS), just to name a few. Read about the participating projects
AI is one of the areas being addressed in the update of the European ATM Master Plan, which defines the modernisation of ATM in Europe until 2040. “We are refining and expanding our vision for a Digital European Sky where automation and artificial intelligence are key levers for the transformation of ATM. Good teamwork and trust between human operators and AI-agents is key within this target vision,” concluded Boschen.
More about AI in SESAR research and innovation
*European Commission, SESAR JU, EASA, EUROCAE, CANSO, ACI Europe, ASD, EDA, IATA, IFATCA, IFATSEA, NATO, and led by EUROCONTROL
