Weekly review #90 - 17th March

ANSP news

• Oro Navigacjia proceeds the modernisation of Air Traffic Control - Last week Oro Navigacija started providing the air traffic control services within the airspace of Lithuania using new air traffic control system iTEC.
• Logon-List for better performance in the air - DFS - Since the end of February, DFS has been using EUROCONTROL's Logon List for the approval of aircraft for data link communications in upper airspace. 

Airports news

• Advanced Tower for an advanced airport! - Liege Airport is now certified as Advanced ATC Tower. This system allows better management of departures and arrivals and has several advantages for Airport operators.

Market news

• Indra consolidates its position as ATM leader in China with the deployment of new navigation aid systems - CANSO - Indra has won new contracts to deploy up to thirty-five navigation aid systems in China, which will reinforce safety at airports and along major air routes.
• German drone market forecast to double in value by 2025 - Unmanned airspace - The German drone market will grow from 840 million euros to over 1.6 billion euros by 2025, which corresponds to an average annual growth rate of 14.5 percent, says a report by Drone Industry Insights. 

Context information

• Saab’s Aerobahn Suite Grows with FlightAware Integration - Saab’s Total Airport Management capabilities have grown even stronger through a new partnership with FlightAware. Saab’s Aerobahn Total Airport Management Platform is designed to integrate data sources to provide a comprehensive picture to stakeholders. 
• Cross industry leaders collaborate on a vision for future skies - CANSO - Leaders from across the aviation and aerospace industries met to start creating a blueprint for safely integrating all airspace users into future skies when the Complete Air Traffic System (CATS) Global Council met for the very first time.
• New German-Swiss interface improves flight efficiency and environmental performance in FABEC airspace - Starting on 25th March a set of permanent new procedures will improve the interface between Germany and Switzerland. 

Reports and data

• EUROCONTROL Data Snapshot #6 - The European aviation network is much more domestic and lowfrequency due to COVID-19. In February 2020 there were many high-frequency connections in the European network.
• Fraport Traffic Figures – February 2021: Frankfurt Airport Still Impacted by Major Passenger Decline - Frankfurt achieves continuing robust cargo growth – Traffic decreases reported at most of the Group airports worldwide.
• The number of flights in February in February decreased by 60 percent - Oro Navigacjia - Despite more activity witnessed in the flight flows during the last few weeks, the number of flights in February remained small. 
• EUROCONTROL Data Snapshot #7 - The seventh EUROCONTROL Data Snapshot is dedicated to the shift to Europe's high-frequency long-haul network being cut by two-thirds as a result of COVID-19.

Research and innovation

• Improving Oceanic Coordination - Airport Technology - With the emergence of space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, Air Traffic Services surveillance is now available in areas where it was not previously provided. OpenSky-Avia recently chose AirTOP from Airtopsoft, a Transoft Solutions company, to study the operational effects of this new technology on specific airspace routes.
• Aeronautical data for UTM: ICAO prepares guidance material but questions remain over pricing - Unmanned airspace - The ICAO UTM Exploratory Project is researching and defining a work programme to help states and service providers understand how to facilitate initial Aeronautical Information Management services. 

UAV and UTM

• ‘Establish a robust UTM system’ says ITF report into safe integration of drones - Unmanned airspace - A report published by the OECD’s International Transport Forum (ITF), presents policy options for the successful integration of drones into the transport system.
• Varon Vehicles and Airio collaborate to generate urban mobility routes for unmanned vehicles - Unmanned airspace - Varon Vehicles and Airio have announced they are jointly collaborating to integrate Airio’s route generating capabilities into Varon Vehicle’s Traffic Management Systems.
• Sagetech Avionics and American Aerospace sign MoU to integrate detect and avoid system - Unmanned airspace - Sagetech Avionics and American Aerospace have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to integrate Sagetech’s Detect and Avoid system into the AA ISR AiRanger unmanned aircraft. The companies expect to have a certifiable prototype of the system ready for flight testing by the end of 2021.
• Israel "to trial autonomous urban airspace management system with 20 drones" - Unmanned airspace - On 17 and 18 March, what-is-understood-to-be the world’s largest demonstration of drones flying in a managed airspace is due to take place in Israel.
• US announces effective dates for remote identification rule applicable to flights over people - Unmanned airspace - The final rules requiring remote identification of drones and allowing some flights over people, over moving vehicles and at night under certain conditions will go into effect on 21 April 2021, says the FAA.
• CORUS X-UAM project plans to demonstrate safe drone deliveries in urban settings across Europe - Unmanned airspace - Participants in the SESAR JU CORUS X-UAM project to strengthen safe Unmanned Aerial Systems operations, plan a live demonstration later this year in the area of Grottaglie airport in Italy in 2021, linking the Manduria airfield and the city hospital.