The SESAR Deployment and Infrastructure Partnership takes over as the new SESAR Deployment Manager

The European Commission and the SESAR Deployment and Infrastructure Partnership (SDIP) signed a long-term Framework Partnership Agreement (2022-2027) on 31 May, marking the official start of the new SESAR Deployment Manager. SESAR is the technological pillar of the EU’s Single European Sky (SES) initiative, charged with harmonising and modernising Air Traffic Management (ATM) across Europe.

As of 1 June, the SDIP consortium takes over the challenging tasks of the Deployment Manager that were initiated by the SESAR Deployment Alliance AISBL (SDA) in 2014. A seamless transition between the two entities will see work to deploy essential SESAR ATM solutions continue. These solutions will improve air traffic management performance in terms of flight trajectories, cost-efficiency and safety.

European Commission Director-General for Transport, Henrik Hololei, said: "Modernising Europe’s air traffic management infrastructure is central to meeting our sustainability objectives, and ensuring long-term resilience within the aviation sector. The success of the SESAR project depends on strong partnerships, which, in these challenging times for aviation, have also helped to strengthen resilience. I would like to offer a warm welcome to the new SESAR Deployment Manager, the renewed and highly motivated partnership, working alongside the EUROCONTROL Network Manager and bringing together innovation and operational needs."

SDIP is a consortium comprising 20 major European airspace users, Air Navigation Service Providers and Airport operators, and EUROCONTROL, as Network Manager. SDIP has appointed Mariagrazia La Piscopia as its Executive Director. She has over 20 years of experience in the Aviation and ATM/ANS domains at technical, operational and strategic level, spanning from R&D to deployment.

Mariagrazia La Piscopia, Executive Director of SESAR Deployment Manager said: "I am very thankful that we received the trust of the European Commission today by signing this Framework Partnership Agreement. Together with the buy in of our stakeholders and the commitment of our members, I truly believe we have created the necessary framework to continue, strengthen and improve Air Traffic Management modernisation through SESAR deployment as one team."

By the end of 2027, the SESAR Deployment Manager aims to have completed implementation of the ‘Common Project 1’, which will advance the digitalisation and greening of ATM in Europe, delivering tangible benefits to the European passengers, citizens and the economy.

Background

The SESAR Deployment framework, established by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) N° 409/2013, defines three main implementing mechanisms: Common projects, deployment programme and the Deployment Manager. Common projects mandate the implementation of specific SESAR solutions, developed by the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking, that benefit the European air traffic network the most, and that require synchronised deployment. The deployment programme is a work plan that defines how common projects should be implemented by the stakeholders concerned. The Deployment Manager is responsible for timely and synchronised implementation of common projects and monitoring by coordinating and supporting the stakeholders concerned. The Deployment Manager also monitors the implementation progress and reports to the Commission.

The SESAR Deployment Phase is well underway: 5 years before the Common Project one (CP1) Regulation deadline in 2027, around 15% of the CP1 scope is already in operation, and 68% of the SDP content is either already completed or ongoing.

One of the main instruments that helped ATM modernisation is the Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA), established in 2014 and coordinated by the SESAR Deployment Manager. The FPA regroups almost 100 organisations spread across all EU Member States and it enabled the launch of 341 Implementation Projects, distributed 8 Implementation CEF funded Actions (EUR 1.3 bln since 2014), mobilising an overall investment of around EUR 2.7 bln to modernise ATM systems and infrastructure. Moreover, until April 2022, the total number of closed Implementation Projects arose to 230 out of 341 in total (more than two thirds of the total).

SESAR Deployment and Infrastructure Partnership (SDIP) Members: