First up, a cross border free route airspace has been operational in Baltic FAB on a permanent basis since February 24, 2022! This will result in seamless FRA operations between Baltic FRA and SEE FRA. Airspace users should enjoy operational benefits, greener trajectories, and enhanced safety once the region's traffic starts to recover.
Next, there's heavy use expected for German airspace. As a result of a new air traffic control system in France, air traffic is being redirected to Germany which should result in heavy airspace use from the beginning of April.
In market news, Indra are developing a new satellite communications system, set to offer bandwidths of up to 20 megabits per second. This will multiply the transmission capacity of today’s most advanced on-board systems.
For UAV and UTM, the UK consortium has revealed a blueprint to build a 165 mile drone ‘Superhighway’ which would link towns and cities across the UK – initially connecting the Midlands with the Southeast and those urban conurbations along the UK’s south coast.
Finally, in the latest episode of Radar Contact, we get an expert view on UTM developments with Philip Butterworth-Hayes.
ANSP news
- BALTIC FRA is operational! - From February 24, 2022 Cross border free route airspace is operational H24 in Baltic FAB on a permanent basis! This implementation results in seamless FRA operations for airspace users between Baltic FRA and SEE FRA, encompassing the border between Bratislava CTA, Warszawa CTA and Vilnius UTA/CTA.
- Heavy use of German airspace - DFS - From the beginning of April, the aviation industry is expecting a significant rise in the volume of traffic from holiday flights throughout European airspace. As a result of the introduction of a new air traffic control system in France, air traffic is being diverted to Germany. Together with the changed traffic situation in Europe due to the war in Ukraine, this will mean German airspace will experience heavy use.
- SESAR 3 JU discuss new working relationship with Finnish and Swedish partners - Richard Frizon, Executive Director ad interim, travelled north to meet founding members, VTT in Finland, and LFV in Sweden, with a view to discuss the new working relationship and common vision for delivering the Digital European Sky.
- Senasa will train air traffic controllers for Cape Verde - SENASA and the Fundo de Promoção do Emprego e da Formação have signed an agreement to train 10 air traffic controllers for the African archipelago. This agreement provides the initial training for Tower Control Training for 10 students who will subsequently complete their professional program at the various facilities of the Cape Verde ANSP.
- DFS and MUAC reducing complexity in the FABEC airspace - The final part of the Cooperative Optimization of Boundaries, Routes and Airspace (COBRA) project, which revises common boundaries to improve flight paths and reduces the need for coordination and tactical interventions in one of the most complex airspace structures worldwide, becomes operational.
Airports news
Market news
- Air force VCS national network - The Italian Air Force is aiming at creating a national network for connecting all Air Traffic Control systems deployed at their various air bases. This will permit the use of SIP/VOIP services from the MULTIFONO® M800IP® Voice Communication Systems provided by SITTI.
- Indra is developing a new satellite communications system - Indra’s new SATCOM will offer bandwidths of up to 20 megabits per second, multiplying the transmission capacity of today’s most advanced on-board systems.
- Denmark’s Naviair selects FREQUENTIS ATM system as backup for Area Control Centre and Approach/Tower units - Naviair will replace its current ClearThe-Sky backup Air Traffic Management system with a PRISMA backup solution from Frequentis Comsoft, capable of providing continuous traffic handling, for unlimited time periods. The project will form part of an expansion of the Remote Digital Tower contract between Frequentis DFS Aerosense and Naviair.
Context information
Reports and data
- EUROCONTROL Data Snapshot #28 - Our 28th EUROCONTROL Data Snapshot reports on how re-routing around Ukraine is disrupting traffic flows across a wide area.
- Route optimisation trials show significant benefits - The early results from four End-to-End Route Optimisation trials in Latin America and Caribbean are showing significant savings in time, fuel, and carbon emissions. The trials involved coordination with a range of stakeholders including airlines, Air Navigation Service Providers of the States along each route, and regional aviation bodies.
UAV and UTM
