The SESAR Joint Undertaking (SJU) is in the process of launching 15 Large Scale Demonstration projects, aimed at more extensively showing the benefits that SESAR solutions can bring to aviation in Europe. Between now and 2016, the projects will unite the skills and innovative capabilities of a wide range ATM stakeholders from across Europe in order to test SESAR solutions in a variety of real operational environments.

Co-funded by the SJU, the projects are divided into two categories:

1. Projects paving the way for the wider scale deployment of the Pilot Common Project: These projects focus on solutions that are paving the way for the implementation of the Pilot Common Project, the first set of Air Traffic Management (ATM) functionalities that have been identified for wide scale coordinated deployment.
2. Projects focussed on small and medium airports: These projects focus on solutions targeting, but not necessarily limited to, small and medium-sized airports and with that business and general aviation, including rotorcraft.  Remote Tower Services and satellite-based navigation procedures are the main solutions addressed by these projects.

“These latest demonstration projects are a fantastic opportunity to showcase innovations emerging from the SESAR Research and Innovation (R&I) Programme on a large scale and in real operational conditions. I am delighted to see so many stakeholders from around Europe taking part: with their support, I am confident that these projects will further convince the broader community that the first SESAR solutions are now fit for wider scale deployment,” says Florian Guillermet, Executive Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking.