On 3 July, SESAR presented the results of a first set of successful demonstration exercises, supplying the Air Traffic Management (ATM) community with new or improved technological solutions at pre-industrialisation stage, ready for deployment.

The first Release of SESAR R&D results featured operational validation exercises which took place throughout Europe in 2011 and in the first months of 2012. The exercises focused essentially on the development of efficient and green terminal airspace operations; four-dimensional aircraft trajectories, enhancing flight safety and collaborative ATM network management.

The technological concepts assessed in SESAR’s first set of trials were clustered in 15 Operational Focus Areas (OFA). Results show that:

• In 10 out of 15 OFAs, demonstration exercises successfully demonstrated the maturity of the concepts under review;
• In 3 additional OFAs, demonstration exercises partially demonstrated the maturity of the concepts under review;
• For 7 out of 15 OFAs, the trials results are already conclusive and sufficient to support a decision for industrialisation.

The first set of validation exercises has also allowed SESAR teams to stabilise their working processes and to produce solid intermediate R&D results which will feed the next waves of development in the SESAR programme:

• For 8 out of 15 OFAs, further R&D work is already planned in the next waves of development (SESAR Release 2 in 2012/2013 and SESAR Release 3 in 2013/2014).

“We can be proud of this first set of results,” said SESAR Joint Undertaking Executive Director Patrick Ky. “All of the teams and partners who contributed to this success deserve our congratulations. The SESAR Programme is now fully in motion and delivering the R&D results that are shaping tomorrow’s Air Traffic Management system – an ATM system that will be safer, greener and which will constitute a potent growth engine for the European economy.” said Ky.

The report on SESAR Release 1 Results which was presented to SESAR’s Administrative Board is available here.