Major airlines, business & general aviation, associations on board of SESAR

The SESAR Joint Undertaking, a unique public-private partnership in air traffic management research and development, has signed contracts with Air France & Régional, KLM, Iberia, Lufthansa Group including SWISS and LCAG, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, TAP Portugal, Novair, a consortium coordinated by EBAA including NETJET and Dassault Aviation, as well as IATA, and IAOPA to engage their technical experts in the SESAR programme. The SESAR Joint Undertaking is now poised to tackle its vital mission: to develop a user-driven, modernised and affordable Air Traffic Management system for Europe, which will prevent crippling congestion of the European sky and reduce the environmental impact of air transport.
SESARGiovanni Bisignani, Director General and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents some 230 international airlines, commented: “SESAR needs to deliver results on the industry’s top priorities—safety, environmental responsibility and financial sustainability. It must also be completed on time and in-line with customer needs. Today’s agreement is important because it accelerates validation of future technologies with flight trials in real conditions.”

The SESAR JU is targeting specific users’ categories whose technical expertise is needed for the execution of the SESAR Programme: Scheduled & Charter Airlines, Low Cost Airlines, Cargo Operators, Business Aviation and General Aviation as well as the military sector. Air France & its affiliate Régional, a consortium of General & Business aviation ‘actors named EBAA including NETJET and Dassault Aviation, KLM, Iberia, Lufthansa Group including SWISS & LCAG, Novair, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, TAP Portugal and two associations namely IATA representing airlines and IAOPA representing aircraft owners and pilots will benefit from the SJU’s financing to include their input in every key step of the SESAR work programme.
“It is essential or even vital for the success of SESAR that the expertise of the airlines is integrated as from day one of the development phase. SESAR is made for and by the air space users. They will participate and analyse the outcomes of the SESAR projects from a technical and cost perspectives which will reinforce the user driven approach of the future SESAR technologies and procedures.” insisted Patrick KY, Executive Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking. The SESAR new components and operational procedures will be gradually implemented as from 2012 till 2020.

1 comment

  1. A bit cheeky describing SESAR as ‘User-Driven’. None of the consortia have User members and it has taken some eighteen months to even think of bringing them into the process. It is hard to figure out from the press release just how much influence the Users will now have, but I wouldn’t bet on it being very much. As for the ‘affordable’ element….

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