European airspace is increasingly complex, with less predictable traffic flow and more diverse airspace users - including fast and slow-moving unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Moving from largely human-centric to more automated operations is the first step towards creating a responsive, flexible environment able to respond to user preferences and future passenger-centric journeys. SESAR is identifying the capabilities and tools needed to support this more connected and automated environment in the transition to a Digital European Sky. 

This flagship is focused on secure data-sharing between all system components using high bandwidth, low latency fixed and mobile networks. The aim is to develop highly automated systems with numerous actors interacting with each other seamlessly to make the system scalable and even safer than today. SESAR research addresses technological and operational changes such as the interaction between humans and machines, machine learning applications to assist decision making in dynamic environments, data sharing to improve on-time performance and network-wide synchronisation of trajectory information.

Human-AI teaming

SESAR exploratory research is developing an adaptable automation system that could provide the basis for effective human-AI teaming. The controller adaptive digital assistant (CODA) assesses controllers’ anticipated workload and follows an adaption strategy, for example increasing the level of automation or requesting changes to the airspace (sector splitting). A prototype human-machine interface is the focus of the separate ASTAIR project to design a support tool that will fully automate the supervision of airport ground operations. The project aims to provide the controller with enough flexibility to locally tweak the algorithm rules to cope with operational events.

Flight-centric ATC

Seamless data exchange is the aim of SESAR industrial research supporting the development of virtual centres and delegation of airspace in a cyber-secure environment. Next generation air traffic management systems such as iTEC calculate the flight trajectory and alert controllers to potential conflicts between aircraft at an early stage (iSNAP), opening up opportunities for more flight-centric air traffic control (FCA) operations. By changing from flight information regions to a flight-centric structure, traffic can be distributed more evenly, optimising workflow integration. Industrial research also considers the future connectivity and digital infrastructure (FCDI) needed to support and manage operational services in the future ATM system.

Multi-link communications

Four-dimensional trajectories rely on a unified concept of operations encompassing both air and ground technologies. FCDI is developing a common infrastructure in which communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS) systems form part of an integrated and holistic system of systems. This flagship also demonstrates implementation of a multi-link communications infrastructure (ESMA) with a focus on datalink using satellite and VHF Mode 2 technologies. Long-term data collection in an operational multi-link environment will demonstrate whether the technology meets the performance requirements and business needs.

Connected and automated technologies benefit airspace management in many ways. Whether by enabling more affordable, service-oriented operations, improved environmental performance or safer more efficient routes, these flagship activities provide a pathway to creating scalable and resilient airspace management services.

European airspace needs to evolve to provide the capacity and flexibility to meet growing passenger demand and to accommodate new types of airspace users. A more diverse range of manned and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) expect to operate in very low-level airspace as well as at high altitudes, relying on much greater autonomy and digitalisation than in use today. SESAR supports this progressive move towards autonomous flying by introducing new capabilities and developing new operational concepts that enable closer integration between the infrastructure and airspace users.

This flagship aims to create a seamless and safe environment where manned and unmanned aerial vehicles can operate safely together. Greater air-ground integration requires advanced and flexible means of communication including satellite-based solutions, high bandwidth mobile networks and IP-based technology. Research is required to integrate these technologies into a multilink environment to support future hyper-connected operations.

The industrial research and validation project Network trajectory-based operations (Network TBO) uses data downlinked automatically from the aircraft flight management system, including for example the aircraft extended projected profile (EPP), to enable the controller to synchronise the most up-to-date route prediction with ground-based information. Besides controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC) and human-to-human communication, datalink also supports machine-to-machine communication enabling EPP integration within the Network Manager system and further steps in four-dimensional (4D) trajectory operations.

Civil-military coordination

This flagship considers how unmanned systems can be integrated into this environment by addressing the required infrastructure, services, and detect and avoid functionalities of remotely operated aerial systems (RPAS) used by civil and military operators. IFR RPAS integration into European Airspace (IRINA) aims to validate acceptable means of compliance to remove the constraints currently limiting RPAS operations to segregated airspace.

Parallel development of single pilot operations also stands to benefit from more advanced technologies that allow the introduction of greater levels of automation in the cockpit. SESAR Single pilot line operations (SOLO) research is developing a concept for single pilot operations that would see minimal changes to current air traffic control tools and procedures. Measures include safety systems and crew health monitoring systems to trigger back-up modes in case of unexpected events, a high-integrity flight control platform, and safe return to land even in a congested airspace.

Higher airspace integration

Autonomous flying is especially relevant to higher airspace (approximately above 60,000 ft), where an expanding range of vehicles, including long-endurance balloons, high altitude platform stations (HAPS), supersonic and hypersonic aircraft operate. These vehicles come with vastly different operating characteristics and missions varying from connectivity and surveillance to passenger transport and satellite services. European concept of higher airspace operations (ECHO2) research is validating an initial concept of operations developed under the initial programme (ECHO), with specific focus on a space launch real-time monitoring module, a package covering ground and air-ground operational integration procedures.

In developing solid, safe and secure means of communication and networking, research in this flagship paves the way towards a common 4D trajectory and airspace management/U-space convergence.

To access airspace capacity when and where needed, sufficient resources including controllers and airspace need to be readily available. This becomes a challenge as more, diverse airspace users enter the market, adding to the difficulty of providing these services in a timely and reliable manner. This flagship develops the concept of capacity on demand with flexible resource allocation in response to traffic demand, irrespective of the controller’s physical location in Europe. Dynamic reconfiguration and cross-border capacity-on-demand are among flagship objectives to maintain smooth traffic services across the network.

SESAR research considers a range of dynamic airspace configuration solutions including virtualisation models, digital integrated network and ATC planning (INAP) applications, and network-wide monitoring. Applying artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to these applications, SESAR intelligent suite for local and network demand and capacity balance (ISLAND) industrial research aims to increase en-route capacity and improve cost-efficiency of air traffic service provision, without compromising the current safety levels.

Flexible controller rostering

Deploying controllers more responsively is the aim of IFAV3 research directed towards more flexible controller validations. At present, air traffic controllers are licensed to operate specific sectors and maintain their competences through refresher training and hours worked. As a result, they acquire unit ratings on a limited number of sectors which is challenging for staff rostering. IFAV3 research is developing a standard and methodological training framework for controllers, designed to simplify validations through the use of ready-to-use procedures, advanced tools, automation, training and regulatory changes. These strategies will be validated, along with others developed in previous SESAR research, to make rostering more flexible.

Standards development

Increased automation and introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) comes with the additional challenge of compliance with aviation-grade legal and regulatory requirements. SESAR is responding by designing a failsafe approach to the certification and approval of new ATM-related airborne and ground systems with higher levels of embedded automation, including those based on AI and machine learning. This holistic unified certification approach for novel systems based on advanced automation (HUCAN) aims to develop a toolkit and guidelines for manufacturers, while working with regulatory bodies, national aviation authorities and service providers on appropriate certification methods.

Improved network performance

The impact of dynamic resource management and advances in data technologies extends to ground systems across the network. Increased collaboration between different actors leads to more predictable operations and improved on-time performance. This is especially important at the airport where many different entities interact during the aircraft turn around process. SESAR is making use of data technologies to integrate the airport and network operations plan (AOP-NOP), focusing in particular on the pre-tactical and strategic planning phases. Projects include FASTNet, which integrates new datasets available at local level such as local restrictions and pre-tactical flight information, and KAIROS, which aims to improve the quality of meteorological information through the use of artificial intelligence and to integrate prediction models within air traffic flow management operational tools.

This flagship anticipates increased collaboration between different agents based on safe and secure data sharing and improved decision making supported by advanced automation tools. This leads to improved management of demand and capacity balancing across the network while also benefiting local flow management and the emerging advanced air mobility sector.

With their remote-control abilities, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) offer a fast and efficient means of transportation, often with reduced environmental impact and more flexibility than ground-based operations. However, to be successful they need to integrate seamlessly with existing aviation and not endanger people or property. A new a legislative framework is taking shape, along with new operational concepts based on digital services to accommodate UAS operations at scale and ensure safe and fair access to low altitude airspace for all users.

SESAR 2020 began development of Europe’s drone management system known as U-space with the 2017 Blueprint, which identifies U-space key principles and services in four stages (U1-4), each increasing in sophistication and complexity. The aim is to realise economic benefits identified in the 2016 European drones outlook study, while complementing ATM Master Plan(3) performance ambitions. The UAS sector is already heavily reliant on digital technologies - including on-board connectivity and monitoring capabilities – and building a pan-European competitive environment for the provision of U-space services will accelerate the digital transformation of Europe’s ATM infrastructure.

This flagship features multiple projects addressing aspects of U-space ranging from societal acceptance to priority flights and air taxis. Among high profile applications, the fast-track project SAFIR-Ready builds on previous research into medical delivery networks, adding dynamic capacity management (U3), detect and avoid algorithms(U3) and machine to machine communication and decision making (U4) to test U-space services in practice.

Pioneering U-space services

In a series of Digital Sky Demonstrators, SESAR is carrying out live demonstrations to test U-space concepts and provide recommendations for regulation and standardisation. Among these, trial flights in Spain, Italy and France as part of U-ELCOME show U1 and U2 U-space services interacting with existing ATM systems in various scenarios. The project uses a scalable U-space architecture which combines a common information service provider (CISP) and U-space service providers to create situational awareness among all airspace users. In the case of BURDI, SESAR is developing a U-space concept based on best practices that will eventually be implemented around cities of Antwerp, Liège and Brussels to support deliveries, inspections, medical and security operations.

SESAR demonstrations provide a unique opportunity to test and validate U-space concepts and technologies before incorporating them in the broader ATM ecosystem. While many questions still need to be answered, including performance measurement and certification, the research findings bring the industry closer to full-scale integration.

Urban air mobility

Parallel exploratory research is investigating the impact of urban air mobility (UAM) operations in terms of noise and pollution (ImAFUSA) along with a new toolset to generate 4D trajectories in urban areas (MUSE), and artificial intelligence (AI) -based tools (AI4HyDrop) to enable operations at scale. As larger numbers of aircraft take to the skies, the SPATIO fast track project is demonstrating strategic, dynamic and tactical conflict resolution services in high-risk areas such as airports to help facilitate societal acceptance.The EUREKA project is developing the complete arrival, departure and turnaround process for vertiports. 

Air traffic services lack flexibility due to a reliance on fixed infrastructure and legacy operating procedures. By decoupling service provision from the physical controller working position, services can be delegated to create more dynamic, resilient airspace management. By means of increased data-sharing and flexible ATM service provision, air traffic service units can improve capacity in portions of airspace where traffic demand exceeds the available capacity and offer contingency options. Increasing the use of external data services and cloud-based technology also creates competitive business opportunities as the industry moves to more standardised services. It also introduces cyber risks associated with increased data sharing.

This flagship focuses on the challenges that accompany digital technologies. Creating a virtualised environment relies on reliable connectivity and interoperable platforms that enable service providers to access data irrespective of national borders. SESAR is defining the architecture and data sharing delivery models needed to support more flexible services; developing and testing digital platforms by exchanging data between vendors and service units to assess the performance requirements; addressing revised licensing for controllers and safety electronics personnel; and developing cyber alert tools.

New service delivery model

The new service delivery model features multiple ATM data service providers (ADSP) in place of one main provider, for example offering services ranging from flight data, to radar, voice and weather information. SESAR VITACY research is designing ‘triangle architecture’ and developing cyber tools to support this environment. Similarly, the CNS DSP fast-track project aims to make communication, navigation, and surveillance (CNS) infrastructure more resilient and efficient by developing digital platforms to share CNS data between air navigation service providers and other aviation stakeholders, including  the military. Focusing on cyber resilience, SEC-AIRSPACE exploratory research is looking at ways to increase cyber awareness amongst all stakeholders using social, human and organisational factors in addition to cyber security components such as the SESAR security risk assessment methodology (SecRAM).

SESAR will showcase the delegation of airspace using a virtual centre setup between air traffic service units as part of DEVICE. The digital demonstrator is focused on interoperability between service providers, with specific reference to different flight data processing platforms iTEC, SkyNex and COOPANS. Companian research by members of the COOPANS alliance aims to create a virtual centre model that geographically separates the ATM data service provider from the location of the air traffic service unit. EXODUS is developing at least two central data centres installed at two COOPANS air navigation service provider premises, along with multiple user positions at individual COOPANS sites spread across Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Ireland, Portugal, and Sweden. The shared infrastructure is designed to demonstrate how data services can be decoupled from the physical location to provide air traffic services at any time during all flight phases, from pre‐departure to on‐block, and how air navigation service providers can plug in their operations where needed in a secure manner.

Airspace management plays a small part in a passenger’s door-to-door journey, but punctual flight times are important to optimising the whole journey, helping to minimise costs, travel time and environmental impact. Europe anticipates passengers and freight will enjoy seamless travel services by 2050, using new concepts and innovative technology to manage much greater traffic densities. ATM is an integral part of this intermodal transport system, sharing data between modes to improve passenger flow and introducing tools that allow user‐driven prioritisation based on real‐time multimodal passenger information. New data sharing standards and systems are needed for travel service providers to exchange data and balance individual constraints against those of the network, while improved cockpit connectivity will increase predictability of traffic flow.

Balancing local and network goals

Airports and vertiports are part of this multimodal journey where collaborative performance planning at local and network level helps alleviate congestion and provides alternative routings in case of disruption. SESAR is developing a set of data analytics and modelling tools to support the implementation of multimodal airport access solutions based on two passenger mobility innovations: shared autonomous vehicle fleets and unmanned aerial vehicle fleets. The MAIA project is designing data analytics and modelling tools to monitor and anticipate passenger behaviour changes in both sectors in order to optimise vehicle dispatching under multimodal disruptions and recommend appropriate locations for vertiports. The goal is to enable multimodal services for airport access that balance passenger needs, capacity and environmental sustainability.

The integration of vertiports into airport operations and city surface transport networks position airports as multimodal nodes for aviation supported by timely exchange of surface network, airport and ATM network information to bring common situational awareness and improved mobility planning activities.

Sharing data across transport networks is the aim of MultiModX, a consortium representing airports, rail and air transport services. The project is developing a modelling and assessment framework, along with key performance indicators, for long-distance multimodal passenger transport in Europe. The research aims to identify integration and data set requirements by measuring disruption caused by missed connections, denied boarding, cancellations etc. It is building disruption management solutions based on coordinated tactical adjustments of air and rail schedules, speed/trajectory adjustments and passenger reallocation.

Door-to-door journeys

Introducing data sharing contracts and managing contractual relationships between transport service providers is the aim of SIGN-AIR, a project to develop and pilot a new platform to support multimodal travel. The project addresses contract templates to simplify the legal management, the electronic management and information provision around each specific contract, enriching routing information for travellers. Data sharing will also have a positive impact on resilience as increased knowledge will help to manage disruptive events and provide more accurate forecasts for arrival and transfer times. Ultimately, single ticketing will be possible as part of an intermodal transport system where air traffic management is an integral part of the overall transport system and door-to-door journey.

The European Green Deal aims to make Europe the world’s first climate-neutral continent, committing all member states to more sustainable operations. Aviation is responding by intensifying efforts to reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency through optimised flight profiles and higher levels of automation. However, flying more direct routes relies and introducing concepts such as formation flights rely on new capabilities and widespread adoption of digital technologies. Noise impact and air quality around airports also have a role to play in lowering emissions, prompting research in all these areas.

This flagship considers ways to reduce both carbon and non-CO2 emissions and develop more resilient airspace management, for example using satellite-based technology, trajectory-based operations and incentivised charging mechanisms. Informed by earlier SESAR research into the impact of non-CO2 emissions, latest research looks at mitigating the impact of contrails and contrail-induced cirrus clouds by predicting eco-sensitive areas and re-routing flights to avoid them. For example, the exploratory research E-CONTRAIL project is introducing artificial intelligence techniques, while CICONIA and CONCERTO validation activity aims to measure emissions and leverage digital technologies to select the least polluting flight paths.

Incentivised flight planning

Identifying efficient flight paths is the aim of another exploratory research project, Green-GEAR which uses geometric altimetry enabled by satellite navigation to support greener climb and descent operations. The research also considers environmentally-driven route charging to incentivise airspace users to avoid volumes of airspace with a high climate impact and disincentivise flight planning through high demand sectors/flight altitudes. Satellite-based navigation also informs the GALAAD industrial research project which is developing a concept for dynamically allocating required navigation performance (RNP) routes in the terminal area. The decision-support tools bring more agile responses to operational variations like traffic density, airspace availability and environmental constraints as well as accommodating new propulsion aircraft types.

In a digital sky demonstration, ECHOES is using space-based technology to test inter-satellite links to communicate with aircraft thousands of miles from the ground controller. Aircraft already use very high frequency (VHF) voice and datalink which makes the services and technology available for deployment.

Inspired by nature

Aiming to save between 5-10% of fuel on a transatlantic crossing, GEESE is using fast- and real-time simulation to test wake energy recovery (WER) to optimise fuel use and reduce CO2 emissions. Modelled on bird flight, WER sees a pair of aircraft flying in formation, one around 1.5nm (3km) behind the other, allowing the trailing jet to benefit from the lift generated by the preceding aircraft’s vortices, reducing the thrust required from its engines. In addition to identifying suitable aircraft pairs and routings, the research also considers contrail formation.

Another project taking inspiration from bird flight, HERON is designing smoother, continuous descent profiles as aircraft near their destination using real-time transmission of four-dimensional trajectory data. The project uses centralised data exchange services which also contributes to green apron management by reducing unnecessary waiting times on taxiways and parking stands.

By developing and testing the technology needed to support these concepts, SESAR is helping operators on the ground and in the air to follow fuel-efficient four-dimensional gate-to-gate trajectories.

Aviation and air traffic management are ideally placed to take advantage of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), relying as they do on data flows and informed analysis of complex scenarios. Higher levels of automation will enable better use of aviation data leading to more accurate predictions and sophisticated support tools, increased productivity and enhanced use of scarce resources, helping both tackle capacity and environmental impact. However wider use of big data and advanced algorithms brings with it new challenges around data security and trust, and the role of the human in decision-making in safety-critical applications.

This flagship considers the data intensive infrastructure associated with machine learning and AI, including data quality, data integrity, ownership, and security. Research projects examine new methodologies for the validation and certification of advanced automation in different applications, alongside data access needs, and impact on the resilience of airspace management. Increased automation brings with it the opportunity to optimise aircraft trajectories and reduce emissions by increasing controllers’ productivity and enabling more dynamic airspace configuration. This in turn will increase predictability, enhance safety and ease access for new entrants.

Trust

Trust is essential to introducing higher automation to ATM decision-making. Using the example of remote digital towers, SESAR TRUSTY research is using visual analytics, data-driven storytelling and immersive analytics in human-machine interactions to demonstrate the trustworthiness and reliability of AI-powered decisions. TRUSTY aims to increase the use of automated technology, for example supporting repetitive and routine tasks, to enable controllers to focus on safety-critical and complex tasks. In parallel exploratory research, ASTRA is using AI to predict airspace bottlenecks longer in advance, helping to reduce congestion and emissions. ASTRA is developing a new AI-based tool to bridge the gap between the flow management position (FMP) and the planner controller working position (CWP) to provide air traffic flow and capacity management measures with longer lead time.

Human-AI collaboration

Creating an assistant tool, JARVIS research is developing AI-based solutions to support the execution of certain tasks in tandem with human operators. The project expects to develop three AI based solutions: an airborne digital assistant to support crew and single pilot operations; an ATC digital assistant to support more efficient and green tower operations; and an airport digital assistant to increase the level of automation in airports, enhancing safety and security for intrusion detection scenarios. The digital assistant concept is also the focus of the digital sky demonstrator DARWIN, a project defining the roles and responsibilities of single pilots and digital assistants while maintaining, or increasing safety, without increasing pilot workload.

Civil/military interoperability and coordination is necessary to maintain safety and balance the needs of civil aviation with those of national security and defence. Digital transformation of the European ATM network impacts both civil and military aviation and calls for a joint approach to modernisation to ensure timely exchange of trajectory and airspace information to support flexible use of the airspace.

SESAR is working closely with military partners to develop the appropriate level of interoperability in the strategic and pre-tactical flight phases to share aircraft trajectories and anticipate complex mission profiles. Expanded civil-military collaborative decision-making (CDM), supported by common procedures and data formats, will indirectly benefit European network performance in terms of safety, predictability, capacity, flight efficiency and reductions in CO2 emissions for all stakeholders. It will also bring closer correlation between mission planning and execution and greater mission effectiveness.

Improved mission predictability

Europe’s armed forces operate more than 150,000 flights every year, relying on civil-military coordination tools, liaison officers and local support systems to share the airspace efficiently. SESAR is developing operational and technical solutions to allow more flexible civil-military cooperation, including automated data exchange to improve the predictability of military operations and overall network capacity. For example, the MITRANO project aims to manage mission trajectories and collaborative decision-making at network level by using advanced design principles for military access to the airspace. Increased civil-military data-sharing also requires solutions with the appropriate levels of security for military systems.

Similarly, connectivity and access to communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS) infrastructure requires appropriate levels of service quality and cross-domain services as part of rationalising infrastructure costs. Future solutions will make use of emergency SATCOM and terrestrial datalink technologies and multilink, as well as navigation and surveillance, in a joint civil-military context.

Dynamic and flexible operations

Aimed at early deployment, the fast track Digital Sky Demonstrator HARMONIC is developing support tools designed to identify and resolve traffic hotspots using artificial intelligence (AI). Using data-driven trajectory prediction, the technology takes account of traffic constraints to carry out demand capacity balancing across the network and support dynamic airspace configuration (DAC). Ultimately, these solutions will be integrated into the new architecture of integrated Network Management (iNM) as part of Eurocontrol’s digital transformation programme to renew all the Network Manager’s main operational systems by 2030.