ENAIRE and the Polytechnic and Autonomous Universities of Madrid present the Master's in Air Navigation Services Management

ENAIRE has signed a Partnership Agreement with the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) and the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) to jointly organise a Master's in Air Navigation Services Management (MGSNA in Spanish).  

The Agreement was presented today at the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda (MITMA) at an event presided over by the Secretary of State for Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda and Chairman of ENAIRE, Pedro Saura, who stressed that "Spain must become a sustainable mobility hub that generates value, and this Master's degree belongs to that mobility ecosystem. It is intended to become an instrument of national and international outreach that establishes ENAIRE and our universities as a global benchmark in the field of training in air navigation services".

"Once this first edition is over, and as more universities join in, starting with the second edition this September, I'm sure that this Master's degree will establish itself in coming years as a benchmark in the air navigation sector and in the training of highly qualified and trained professionals, who will manage these services in the future in an innovative, digitised and competitive context that is committed to the sustainability and improvement of our society", Saura added.

This agreement completes the process of creating a graduate degree that is the only one of its kind in the world.

The maximum budget for implementing the Agreement for the 2021-2022, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years is 319,575 euros. The goal is for the programme to become self-sufficient in the medium term, such that it does not cost ENAIRE anything.

The Agreement was signed by ENAIRE's CEO, Ángel Luis Arias, by the UPM, the Dean of the UPM, Guillermo Cisneros Pérez, and the Dean of the UAM, Rafael Garesse Alarcón.

This Master's degree is intended for professionals in the aviation and business management sectorsENAIRE's CEO emphasised that this Master's degree "is a first in the world and an essential part of ENAIRE's cultural change and internationalisation project. It seeks to provide the modular content that is needed to train those employees who will, in the future, engage in management tasks related to an air navigation service provider".

Along these lines, he added that "the Master's degree is supported by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and is also a tool for international outreach that establishes ENAIRE as a global leader in training".

The dean of the UPM stated that the agreement "consolidates the role of the UPM and our School of Aeronautical and Space Engineering in the field of teaching and research in Air Navigation, after more than 20 years of partnering and participating in different projects and programmes with ENAIRE".

"Moreover", added Cisneros, "it guarantees a joint activity that is wholly constructive to the interests of the sector, both from the point of view of university training and from the perspective of companies, eventually providing a benefit to society through the future graduates of the master's programme".

The dean of the UAM, Rafael Garesse Alarcón, stressed that "it is essential for academia and companies to work together on innovative training programmes that bring the experience and innovation of companies to university programmes by making the best of both organisations available to students". He noted that the Autonomous University of Madrid is always open to these initiatives, as demonstrated by the Agreement presented today.

The Master's degree is intended for professionals in the aviation and business management sectors, particularly those whose jobs are related to air navigation service providers.

The Master's degree is offered both in person in Madrid and online, and has 60 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) credits. It was approved by the governing councils of the UPM and UAM in November 2020 and March 2021, respectively.

ENAIRE will pay the tuition for its own students, up to the cost of the Master's degree. Once the costs of the Master's degree are guaranteed, a 100% discount will be applied to the tuition of any additional students proposed by ENAIRE, and 10% for that of students from national and international collaborating organisations

The maximum total number of students will be 50 (25 in person and 25 online).

Extensive teaching and research experience

The three entities, ENAIRE, UPM and UAM, have a long history of collaborating in education and research, and in the fields of training, science and technology of common interest to them, including participating in joint projects both nationally and abroad.

To achieve the goal of this Agreement, the parties will carry out the following actions by providing the necessary human and material resources:

- ENAIRE will collaborate in the selection and admission of students in accordance with the requirements laid out by the UPM and UAM, and in keeping with the Master's Programme Board; coordinate and supervise the classes and propose the teaching staff; propose technical content that incorporates advances in air navigation services as per the regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

- The UPM and UAM will draw up the academic report and the financial budget; approve the teaching schedule and the faculty prior to the start of each edition of the Master's programme; manage the financial and administrative aspects; provide technical support; vet the academic directors of the Programme and accept the proposed faculty; choose the professionals from their universities; issue certificates for the professors; choose the Selection Board for the Master's thesis; issue the diplomas.

The directors of the first edition of the Master's programme will be Professor Víctor Fernando Gómez Comendador for the UPM, and Professor Mª Soledad Cellelín Pedroche for the UAM.

With this educational programme, ENAIRE enhances and bolsters the training activities of its Corporate Campus by entering into a strategic alliance with two renowned universities and offering a training tool to improve the managerial and executive skills of its professionals.

About ENAIRE

ENAIRE is the air navigation service provider in Spain.

As a company of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, it provides en route control services for all flights and overflights from five control centres in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Gran Canaria and Palma, as well as approach services to every airport in the country.

In addition, 45 control towers receive ENAIRE's communication, navigation and surveillance services, and 21 airports, including the country's busiest, rely on its aerodrome control services.

ENAIRE is the fourth most important European air navigation service provider, and, in a clear commitment to the Single Sky initiative, belongs to international partnerships such as SESAR Joint Undertaking, SESAR Deployment Manager, A6 Alliance, iTEC, CANSO and ICAO.

ENAIRE is the official provider of aeronautical information in Spain.