What is the added value of being a member of the SESAR 3 JU?

Lufthansa Group is one of the four Airline members that joined SESAR 3 JU in 2021. Becoming a member was the logical next step to strengthen our SESAR engagement. I am representing Lufthansa Group as a Founding Member of the Governing Board where we give direction to the SESAR 3 JU. Furthermore, our experts are contributing to the different working groups with their airline knowledge to support the development of innovations that will be most effective in daily operations. As one of the leading airline groups in Europe, Lufthansa Group has always contributed to innovation in aviation. Joining the SESAR 3 JU allows us to be involved in the early phases of researching, developing and testing new technologies and procedures.

Our engagement with the Single European Sky reaches all the way back to its early definition in 2002. Modernising old legacy ATM systems is a lengthy process involving all forms of regulation. In order to keep up with overall digitalisation, the rollout of new technologies needs to be accelerated. SESAR 3 JU has a huge responsibility to feed the innovation pipeline with those ideas that improve air traffic and benefit airspace users.

Why is air traffic management and its digital transformation important to Lufthansa?

As an airline, our purpose is to connect people, cultures and economies sustainably. In a modernised ATM flight inefficiencies can be avoided by better utilizing the available airspace. A better utilisation not only enables the Airlines to operate more efficiently but is an essential step on Lufthansa Group’s path towards CO2 neutrality which we want to achieve by 2050. Our engagement in SESAR 3 JU clearly accounts for the corporate sustainability goals of Lufthansa Group.

During the recent crises, we experienced firsthand that the ATC system is lacking the flexibility to cope with changing demands. To improve our passengers’ experience, digitalisation and a higher level of automation are required. Therefore, Lufthansa Group will continue to engage as an innovator in SESAR. As a first mover to many technologies, we need to form harmonised positions supported by all stakeholders at an early stage and synchronise the modernisation across Europe.

What are Lufthansa’s top three innovation priorities?

Our biggest investment as Lufthansa Group are new and more efficient aircrafts. The biggest advantage of the new engines is the reduced fuel burn which is contributing to our sustainability goals. With the introduction of new aircraft comes the opportunity to order the latest avionics. Therefore, we need to know in advance which technology will bring the required innovation.

However, Avionics does not introduce any ATM benefits without improved ground procedures. One of our priorities is to synchronise our investments with the introduction of new ATC procedures. Whenever we share enhanced data with the ANSPs, we have a clear expectation to be able to use better trajectories and increase airspace capacity.

In which flagships of the Digital European Sky programme is Lufthansa particularly interested in getting involved, and why?

Lufthansa Group is Europe’s biggest airline group. With our geographical scope and our strong presence in several sectors, we are the ideal candidate to drive ATM modernisation in Europe. We all experienced that the present ATM system is not capable to cater for the growing traffic. Hence our focus lies on all initiatives that support the creation of higher capacities, especially the harmonisation of technologies and the creation of transparency. Only then will we be able to create efficiencies that allow us to fly more efficiently and therefore support the goal of reducing CO2 emissions. Whenever a system partner is ready to introduce a new technology with clear benefits, Lufthansa Group engages at an early stage to support the development and verify the concept. We get involved to ensure a successful, and timely implementation as well as a coordinated transition into full deployment.