Single European Sky
The Single European Sky (SES) is a European Union regulatory initiative launched in 2004 with the primary objective of restructuring the continent's air navigation management system.
The SES aims to harmonise and improve the efficiency of air navigation service provision across the European Union by increasing air traffic control capacity, strengthening safety, reducing the fragmentation of European airspace, improving military integration and facilitating the introduction of new technologies.
Since its inception, ENAIRE has become one of the most influential providers within the initiative, leading a number of programmes and building its presence and influence in international forums.
Initiatives
The main initiatives of the Single European Sky project include:
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SESAR Programme (Single European Sky ATM Research)
This programme covers the R&D phase of air traffic management modernisation in Europe. SESAR is the technological pillar of the EU's Single European Sky and a key element of the European Commission's Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy. It defines, develops and deploys the technologies needed to transform air traffic management in Europe.
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SESAR Joint Undertaking (R&D)
As a member of the SESAR Joint Undertaking (SJU), ENAIRE took part in the execution of the SESAR 2020 R&D Work Programme and other SJU-managed initiatives, participating in oversight and governance decisions through the established bodies.
The SESAR 2020 R&D programme was structured in two sub-phases, Wave 1 and Wave 2, and concluded in 2023. Following the tender selection process for SESAR 2020 Wave 1, ENAIRE was selected to take part in 19 R&D projects and large-scale demonstrations designed to achieve the most advanced service levels set out in the European ATM Master Plan. Work has now begun on the Digital European Sky, or SESAR 3, organised through successive calls covering exploratory research, industrial research and demonstrators (funded by CINEA and managed by the S3JU). Within this framework, alongside its affiliates and partners and the other S3JU members, ENAIRE will work on the projects it has been awarded, shaping its strategy in line with iTEC plans (iTEC being the future flight data processing and controller working position system) and coordinating its participation with that of the other air navigation service providers in the A6 Alliance.
ENAIRE is involved in a number of SESAR projects. For details, see the document below. Further information on projects managed by the SESAR Joint Undertaking is available at https://www.sesarju.eu/projects/portal
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SESAR Deployment Manager
The deployment phase of the SESAR Programme began in December 2014 with the European Commission's designation of the SESAR Deployment Manager (SDM). The SDM's primary responsibility is to coordinate the deployment of SESAR infrastructure, particularly the functionalities defined in Common Project 1 (CP1).
As a founding member of the SDM, ENAIRE participates in the coordination, decision-making and governance processes relating to the deployment of new technologies and infrastructure at European level, alongside other key aviation stakeholders. ENAIRE's involvement in the SDM supports its internationalisation process, adding to its service portfolio an area of expertise that provides a foundation for future development opportunities. From a strategic standpoint, it enables ENAIRE to help shape the Single European Sky Deployment Programme while minimising the impact on the organisation's investment plans.ENAIRE has also taken part in successive annual calls for proposals to co-fund the roll-out of projects, launched since 2014 by CINEA (Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency), the European body responsible, among other functions, for facilitating the interconnection of European transport networks.
As a member of the SDIP Consortium (SESAR Deployment & Infrastructure Partnership), comprising airlines, airports, air navigation service providers and the Network Manager, ENAIRE plays an active role in coordinating the deployment of SESAR projects. These projects have received estimated EU funding of between €2 billion and €2.3 billion for the period 2014–2026 through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
ENAIRE’s participation in the Deployment Manager contributes to the internationalisation of its activities, adding experience to its service portfolio that provides a foundation for future development opportunities. From a strategic perspective, it enables ENAIRE to contribute to the definition and evolution of the Single European Sky Deployment Programme, thereby minimising the impact on the organisation’s investment plans.
The consortium initially established evolved into a legal entity in 2017: the SESAR Deployment Alliance, an international non-profit association, based in Belgium and governed by Belgian law, of which ENAIRE was a founding member. Following the end of the designation of the SESAR Deployment Manager in 2022, a new consortium or partnership was established—bringing together airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, and the Network Manager—to address the new challenges of modernisation and digitisation: the SESAR Deployment & Infrastructure Manager (SDIP), in which ENAIRE has been participating since its inception.
Deployment of European projects
ENAIRE continues to participate actively in the planning and coordination activities of the SESAR deployment through the various mechanisms and processes established by the European Commission, in particular:
- European ATM Master Plan (2025 edition): ENAIRE contributes to the periodic review and update of the ATM Master Plan, which defines the planning of SESAR Solutions and the medium-term operational and technological deployment objectives, in alignment with the Digital European Sky.
- EUROCONTROL Implementation Plan and Report (EIPAR): ENAIRE actively participates in the implementation and development of the new EIPAR process promoted by EUROCONTROL, whose aim is to integrate planning, monitoring, and reporting activities related to the implementation of the Single European Sky. This process seeks to improve consistency between strategic planning (ATM Master Plan), execution (CP1 / Deployment Programme), and the preparation of national plans (LSSIP), fostering a more integrated and coordinated approach at European level.
- Coordination of the annual preparation of Spain’s Local Single Sky Implementation Plan (LSSIP): ENAIRE leads the national coordination of LSSIP Spain, which includes the planning and monitoring of implementation activities by all national stakeholders, as well as compliance with the objectives of the ATM Master Plan.
- Contribution to the monitoring of the Deployment Programme (DP): ENAIRE is involved in updating and monitoring the Deployment Programme developed by the Deployment Manager within the framework of the Common Project (CP1), as per Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/116. This contribution includes monitoring the progress of ENAIRE’s national projects related to CP1 functionalities, as well as coordinating with the SESAR Deployment & Infrastructure Partnership (SDIP) and the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking (S3JU). All CP1 implementation projects co-financed by CINEA can be consulted in this document.
South West Functional Airspace Block
Following a long history of collaboration in air traffic management between Spain and Portugal, the South West Functional Airspace Block (SW FAB) was formally established on 17 May 2013 through the signing of an agreement between the two States. The signing of this agreement created a formal framework within which both countries work to establish the most effective measures to achieve the Single European Sky. The SW FAB was thus constituted as one of the nine European Functional Airspace Blocks.
Within this framework of cooperation, significant achievements have been attained, most notably the development of the SW FAB Operational Board Common Plan (SW FAB OB CP), first submitted to the European Commission on 25 November 2013 and updated on an annual basis. This plan constitutes a comprehensive technical and operational compendium of the main projects to be developed within the SW FAB framework, and its level of implementation is also assessed annually.
AEFMP Agreement
Within the framework of the AEFMP, multilateral actions are managed among Algeria, Spain, France, Morocco, Portugal, and Tunisia to promote the harmonisation of the provision of communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS) services and air traffic management (ATM) within the area of influence of the service providers of these countries. All activities are aligned with the international planning framework established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the European Union. The AEFMP initiative covers the following areas:
- Technical and operational facilitators
- Harmonisation of deployment activities
- System interoperability
- Optimisation of air traffic flows
- System interconnection