Eurocontrol Accepts the SESAR ATM Target Concept

Eurocontrol has accepted the SESAR (single European sky ATM research) ATM (air traffic management) Target Concept as the fundamental guide that will be used to develop the European air traffic system.

The Target Concept describes future European ATM operations for 2020 and beyond, as well as its supporting architecture and technologies.

SESAR envisions the future European ATM system as one that mainly uses four-dimensional trajectory management to accommodate user-preferred routing (except where insufficient capacity requires a more structured network); a collaborative planning process to balance demand and capacity; the introduction of new separation standards; a better integration of the airports in the ATM system; and enhanced automation. All of this will be underpinned by a system-wide information management allowing each stakeholder to exploit the power of shared information integrating aircraft and ground facilities.

Eurocontrol says its preliminary assessment of the Concept indicates that it will help achieve SESAR's performance goals, although the capacity and cost-effectiveness targets in some areas, such as major hub airports and high density airspace, can only be achieved with additional runways and FABs (functional airspace blocks).

The ATM Target Concept is the third deliverable ("D3") of the SESAR Definition Phase and it can be found at www.eurocontrol.int.  09-29-2007.

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