SESAR is Europe’s unique & ambitious challenge in Research & Development in Air Traffic Management. The ATM modernisation programme will develop the new generation air traffic management system Europe needs. It unites all air transport actors, reaches out to its international counterparts and helps lowering the environmental impact of aviation.
At ATC Global 12, SESAR Joint Undertaking presented the progress made so far and gave an outlook to what will happen in the near future, through four public conferences, with speakers from the European Commission, Eurocontrol and the European Defence Agency. The initiative consisted of a half day information session and took place in Amsterdam, chaired by Mr. Patrick Ky, SESAR JU Executive Director. Ms. Claude-France Arnould, EDA’s Chief Executive, participated in this SESAR Forum on 6 March.
In her speech, Ms. Arnould said “step by step (…) the defence community is changing his mind – showing a constructive approach and a more proactive role on SESAR. The question is not anymore why do we have SESAR but which are the best ways to implement it”. Ms. Arnould said she is keen to incentivize the positive thinking, promoting the concept both at political and at military levels, and she stated “I am confident that together with you, we will make SESAR a major European success story – including for the military world”.
EDA is in a privileged position, between the military community at large (NATO included) and the civilian players of SESAR. Recently, the Agency sponsored a forum, chaired by ITAF Carlo Magrassi, that meets on a regular basis to inform each other about the developments of the programme.