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| SESAR 3 | |
|---|---|
| Name | SESAR 3 |
| Abbreviation | SESAR 3 |
| Established | 2021 |
| Region | European Union |
SESAR 3 SESAR 3 is the European research and innovation programme for air traffic management modernization, developed to coordinate European Commission priorities with Eurocontrol and industry partners such as Airbus, Boeing, Thales Group and Indra Sistemas. The programme aligns with strategic agendas like the European Green Deal, the Single European Sky initiative, and the Horizon Europe framework to advance capacity, safety, and sustainability in Schengen Area and non-Schengen European airspace.
SESAR 3 builds on previous phases led by SESAR Joint Undertaking and the SESAR Deployment Manager to deliver an interoperable air navigation service provider environment integrating technologies from Eurocontrol Experimental Centre, EUROCAE, RTCA, Inc., EASA, and major manufacturers such as Honeywell Aerospace and GE Aviation. It promotes alignment between national projects like UK National Air Traffic Services efforts and multinational programmes including SESAR 1 and SESAR 2020 to ensure compatibility across the European Union internal aviation market and associated partners such as ICAO and FAA.
The programme's objectives include harmonising digitalisation roadmaps across stakeholders like IATA, Air Traffic Control Technology Centre, and airline groups including Lufthansa Group, IAG (International Consolidated Airlines Group), and Air France–KLM to increase throughput, reduce delays, and lower emissions in congested hubs such as London Heathrow Airport, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, and Frankfurt Airport. Scope covers integration of concepts from civil-military coordination projects with organisations such as NATO, Eurocontrol's Network Manager, and regional authorities like AENA and DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung to address cross-border operations and future market needs highlighted by the European Commission President and member state transport ministries.
SESAR 3 emphasises technologies including trajectory-based operations concepts, advanced satellite navigation and Galileo (satellite navigation), and remote tower capabilities tested by firms such as Searidge Technologies and institutions like Cranfield University and Delft University of Technology. It advances research in artificial intelligence applications from groups like DeepMind-adjacent labs, resilient communications via 5G and Iridium Communications constellations, and surveillance using ADS-B enhancements, multilateration systems, and space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast sensors developed in partnership with SES (satellite company) and Inmarsat. Innovations also include integration of unmanned aircraft systems frameworks from DJI, Amazon Prime Air, and regulatory inputs from European Union Aviation Safety Agency and Joint Aviation Authorities-legacy bodies.
The governance model combines public bodies such as the European Commission, European Parliament, Council of the European Union, European Court of Auditors oversight interests, and industry consortia involving Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo S.p.A., Dassault Aviation, and airline alliances like Star Alliance and SkyTeam. Research coordination involves academic partners like Imperial College London, TU München, Université Paris-Saclay, and innovation clusters including Clean Sky and Shift2Rail to ensure cross-domain interoperability. National supervisory roles engage authorities such as Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile, ENAC (France), Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile, and military airspace managers from countries including France, Germany, and Spain.
Planned milestones reference batches of exploratory and validation projects under timelines comparable to Horizon Europe work programmes, with demonstrators in European airports and airspace corridors such as the Functional Airspace Block (FAB) Europe Central and cross-border initiatives with Norway and Switzerland. Notable projects include validation trials for remote towers at airports like Gatwick Airport and Stockholm Arlanda Airport, space-based surveillance pilots with SES (satellite company) and Eutelsat, and trajectory-based operations trials coordinated with Network Manager Operations Centre and airlines such as Ryanair and easyJet. Coordination phases follow prior deployment patterns from SESAR Deployment Manager and incorporate project management practices seen in COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) actions.
Funding streams combine contributions from the European Union budget, private sector investment by corporations like Thales Group, Leonardo S.p.A., and national co-financing from states including France, Germany, and Italy, drawing on instruments similar to Connecting Europe Facility grants and European Investment Bank financing. Economic impact assessments reference forecasts used by Eurocontrol and consultancy firms such as McKinsey & Company and Roland Berger projecting benefits to airlines including KLM and SAS Scandinavian Airlines via reduced fuel burn, lower delay costs at hubs like Munich Airport, and increased network resilience for low-cost carriers such as Wizz Air.
SESAR 3 targets safety enhancements aligned with EASA rulemaking and safety promotion from ICAO to reduce incident rates through improved surveillance and automation tested by research centres like NLR (Netherlands Aerospace Centre and DLR (German Aerospace Center). Environmental benefits are intended to support European Green Deal targets by enabling continuous descent operations and optimised trajectories to cut CO2 emissions for operators including British Airways and SAS, while capacity gains aim to relieve congestion at major nodes such as Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Madrid-Barajas Airport. The programme includes stakeholder engagement with environmental NGOs and standards bodies like ISO and ETSI to monitor noise, emissions, and community impacts.
Category:Aviation in Europe