European Air Traffic Management – A historic clash of concept and politics

Although you would never know it from reading the rather upbeat communications from the Functional Airspace Block (FAB) and SESAR folks, ATM in Europe is heading towards some major turbulence. That the EC’s Single Sky Committee very nearly managed to kick the deadline of meeting the Single Sky (SES) high-level goals a further 13 years… Continue reading European Air Traffic Management – A historic clash of concept and politics

Is SESAR Doomed to Fail?

As some of us will remember, SESAR is not the first attempt to remedy the sad state of air traffic management in Europe. Think EATCHIP and ATM2000+… This latter was especially significant, since the ministers of transport of all ECAC States had signed off on it, promising to implement what was required to make the… Continue reading Is SESAR Doomed to Fail?

Pioneering and progressing: Assessing the progress of SESAR with Florian Guillermet

The SESAR programme was launched on 3 June 2009. Now almost two years since its launch, It’s a good time to take stock of the status of the programme’s 300 projects, assess progress in the execution of the first SESAR release and the first project deliverables. In a short interview, Florian Guillermet, SESAR JU Chief… Continue reading Pioneering and progressing: Assessing the progress of SESAR with Florian Guillermet

When Titans speak

Mid-March Aviation Week published a double interview in which Canso director general Graham Lake and Air Traffic Control Association president/CEO Peter F. Dumont spoke their minds about air traffic management developments on both sides of the Atlantic. The interviews were refreshing and revealing. They both spoke about the prospects of SESAR and NextGen frankly and… Continue reading When Titans speak

SESAR at ATC Global 2011 – Connecting vision with reality

Roger-Wilco was given a special opportunity to interview SESAR’s Chief Program Officer on the occasion of ATC Global 2011 and in particular in connection with SESAR Release 1, being presented as the most important SESAR deliverable for the year. Florian Guillermet talks to editor Steve Zerkowitz. Roger-Wilco: Looking at the details of SESAR Release 1,… Continue reading SESAR at ATC Global 2011 – Connecting vision with reality

First concrete SESAR achievements in 2011

At the biggest international Air Traffic Management exhibition, ATC Global being held this week in Amsterdam, the SESAR Joint Undertaking presents the first components of the future European ATM system. The aim of this first SESAR Release is to group projects and validation exercises and to start delivering together with the 49 SESAR members and… Continue reading First concrete SESAR achievements in 2011

Interesting people, unusual flight plans…

Eric Platteau – A gourmand communicator Eric is the communications chief of the SESAR Joint Undertaking What were you dreaming of becoming when you were a kid? I wanted to become a cook, a chef. I am quite a gourmet and greedy. It is also linked to a family habit of long and friendly family… Continue reading Interesting people, unusual flight plans…

A first SESAR release in 2011 – WHAT?

One of the products in the run-up to the SESAR world was/is the ATM Master Plan, setting out the when and the how of new air traffic management improvements for Europe. Based on this plan, there are several lower level thingies called implementation packages which show in more detail what will be done and when.… Continue reading A first SESAR release in 2011 – WHAT?