The Executive Director of the SESAR Deployment Manager and her team visit ENAIRE's General Director and see, on-site, the improvements made in the Madrid Control Centre Complex and in the centralized systems

The Executive Director of the SESAR Deployment Manager (SDM), Mariagrazia La Piscopia, the day before yesterday visited ENAIRE's General Director, Ángel Luis Arias, with the aim of fostering their existing partnership, as ENAIRE is one of the relevant members of the SESAR Deployment Manager, which she leads. She also visited the Control Centre Complex in Madrid to see, on-site, the projects already implemented in Spain, which are coordinated by the SDM and subsidised with European funds.

SESAR Deployment Manager is responsible for managing the implementation phase of the SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) programme, which represents the technological pillar of the Single European Sky (SES), whose aim is to modernise air traffic management in Europe.

The consortium behind SESAR Deployment Manager is made up of the main European air navigation service providers, airlines, airports and EUROCONTROL/Network Manager, as a continuation of previous partnerships in which ENAIRE has been a member since 2014.

As a member, ENAIRE partakes in the synchronisation of the execution and implementation of projects within the scope of the SESAR programme.

The Executive Director of SESAR Deployment Manager was received at ENAIRE's Control Centre in Madrid by the Director of Strategy and Innovation, Mariluz de Mateo and the Director of the North Central Region, Enrique Gismera. During the tour of the Control Centre, Mariagrazia La Piscopia was able to see the main functionalities of some of the aforementioned projects, as well as their degree of execution.

"This visit allowed us to exchange on ATM modernization and digitalisation through SESAR deployment and how we can continue our active role in making the European skies more sustainable and resilient", stated the general director of ENAIRE, Ángel Luis Arias.

Mariagrazia La Piscopia: "It was a pleasure to be at ENAIRE and see on site their very active involvement and commitment to SESAR deployment. It is great that deployment can count on the  strong shoulders of our members to modernise and digitalise the European skies as one dedicated team. I am happy to see ENAIRE met the first regulatory deadlines set in CP1.”

Data network

Among the projects of the SESAR programme implemented by ENAIRE stand out the ground-ground communications via the proprietary REDAN Data Network.

REDAN is a network comprising transport and other value-added elements that integrates voice and data communications for air navigation, providing coverage at every airport, air traffic control centre and, in general, installations that generate or use aviation information.

Flow management and Civil-Military Coordination

Significant improvements have been made to air traffic flow management (ATFM service). The Civil-Military Coordination at ENAIRE and the relationship with EUROCONTROL/Network Manager have been systematised with aim of considering military activities in the daily reservation of airspace.

Improvements within the scope of the AIS

The Aeronautical Information Service (AIS), for which ENAIRE is responsible in Spain, is another area that has been improved thanks to the CEF projects. The implementation of the AIXM format has allowed optimising the exchange of information with other systems, which involves a leap in digitisation.

By way of example, ENAIRE is developing programs such as INSIGNIA and ICARO MAP, which can be accessed from any computer, as they are websites. 

Digitisation of control towers

The CEF projects have also led to implementing stripless operations at the airports of Madrid, Barcelona and Palma, among the three most trafficked, thus switching to a digital environment, and this was highlighted during the visit of the Executive Director of the SESAR Deployment Manager.

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 Europe's fourth largest air traffic manager and participates in the A6 Alliance, a coalition of air navigation providers responsible for over 80% of European air traffic, and which is seeking to modernise the air traffic management system. It is also a member of other international alliances promoting the Single European sky, such as SESAR Joint Undertaking, SESAR Deployment Manager, iTEC, CANSO and ICAO.

ENAIRE, as the agency designated by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda to implement the U-Space system in Spain will, through its digital platform, provide the Common Information Services (CIS), which are essential to facilitate U-space services to drones and Urban Air Mobility in cooperation with local air traffic services, so that all types of aircraft can fly safely in the same airspace.

ENAIRE has received the highest score in Europe on the aviation safety key performance indicator. It has also been awarded the EFQM 500 Seal for its safe, efficient, innovative and sustainable management of air navigation services.

About SESAR Deployment Manager

The Single European Sky’s ATM Research project, “SESAR”, is one of the most ambitious modernisation projects launched by the European Union, contributing to the implementation of the Digital Single European Sky. SESAR’s goal is to define, develop and deploy the technological solutions needed to increase the performance and digitalisation of Europe’s ATM system in the most cost-, flight-efficient and environmentally friendly conditions. 

The adoption of the Reg. (EU) n. 716/2014 (Pilot Common Project or “PCP”), the establishment of the SESAR Deployment Manager as per Reg. (EU) n. 409/2013, as well as the subsequent elaboration of the initial SESAR Deployment Programme, marked all together a key step towards the Deployment Phase of SESAR.  

Today, more than eight years after the beginning of this deployment phase in 2014, the modernisation of the European ATM systems and infrastructure is an operational reality with 259 projects in operation. More importantly, it is delivering its expected performance benefits to the aviation community, its stakeholders and in turn to European passengers, citizens, economy and environment benefitting the #EUGreenDeal. In February 2021, the Common Project One or CP1 regulation was published, ensuring a smooth continuation of sustainable Air Traffic Management modernisation and digitalisation through SESAR deployment. 

On 1 June 2022, a new aviation consortium was appointed by the European Commission to continue the role of SESAR Deployment Manager for the next 5 years. Read more.

The SESAR Deployment Programme (SDP) 2022 was approved by the European Commission on 12th August 2022 and can be downloaded via this link. 

www.sesardeploymentmanager.eu