SESAR
SESAR deployment primarily requires
investment by the operational stakeholders,
even if it is financially supported by grants
from the EU. Operational stakeholders,
together with EU citizens, are also the most
interested into higher network performance.
The European Commission (EC) therefore
decided several years ago to award the SDM
function to industry. After an open call for
proposals this took the form of the SESAR
Deployment Alliance (SDA).
The mandate of the SDA ends in
December 2020. The EC is considering the
potential evolution of the SDM function
from 2021. A major consideration is that the
SDA is not just concerned about rolling out
required technologies and operational
procedures. It also aims to grow the
industry’s culture and the amount of
collaboration.
By the end of 2020, this will represent a
fundamental legacy enabling a new step for
SESAR to deliver always more efficiently and
contribute to mitigate faster the current
capacity crunch.
Keeping the industry in the cockpit
In an audience poll conducted during an
ATM stakeholder event in June, more than
75% of participants voted to agree, or
strongly agree, that SDM is delivering. The
European Commission (EC) aims to have the
future direction for SDM in place before the
end of 2019.
At the end of June 2019, the European
Court of Auditors (ECA) published a report
on the EU’s intervention in the deployment
of SESAR. While the report acknowledges
the EU-added value of common projects, the
report also claims that EU funding in
support of ATM modernisation was often
not necessary.
The work of the SDM has pioneered
putting in place ATM R&D. The rules
governing the project have always included a
review clause to adjust any shortcomings.
Therefore, SDM is supportive of the Court’s
objective of ensuring public money is
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