Boeing will lead
the U.S. industry team that will help a consortium of European companies
and EUROCONTROL devise a new, streamlined air traffic management system for
Europe.The project is known as the Single European Sky ATM Research
(SESAR) program.
  As part of a 24-month SESAR definition phase subcontract awarded by the
Air Traffic Alliance (a grouping of European Aeronautic Defence and Space
Co., Airbus and Thales), the Boeing Phantom Works Advanced Air Traffic
Management team is working with U.S. companies Honeywell and Rockwell
Collins to ensure that global system interoperability and standardization
objectives are achieved, and to plan near-term development projects.
  “A significant focus of our work is on helping the new ATM system for
Europe maintain interoperability with the current and next-generation air
traffic control system being developed by the United States,” said Kevin
Brown, Boeing Phantom Works vice president and general manager of Advanced
ATM. “Interoperability is essential for a globally seamless and efficient
ATM system that can meet the tremendous demands of future growth safely.”
  The Boeing-led team’s efforts will contribute to four milestone
deliverables of the SESAR program—a market analysis of air transport
value and the role of air traffic management, the setting of performance
requirements and standards, the selection of target ATM concepts, and
identification of a transition schedule to deploy a new ATM system in
Europe.
  Work in the SESAR definition phase will result in a master plan through
2020 for the new European ATM system and a detailed organizational work
program for 2008 to 2013.
  Since the 2003 Paris Air Show, Boeing and the Air Traffic Alliance have
worked together on key issues that affect the interoperability of future
air transport systems around the world. As well, Boeing has been a partner
with EUROCONTROL and other European groups on projects critical to
transatlantic collaboration on air traffic management.
  “Boeing is fully committed to our partnership with Europe and our joint
efforts to achieve global interoperability,” Brown said. “Many of the
technologies necessary to transform global ATM are installed on modern
commercial transports. We want airlines to be able to fly worldwide without
needing special equipment, procedures and training for each different
region. That makes for safer and less costly air transportation.”
  In the United States, Boeing is working with industry partners and the
Federal Aviation Administration on a number of key ATM projects, including
System-Wide Information Management (SWIM) and the Global Air Traffic
Interoperability program (GATI).
  SWIM is a network-centric system architecture that enables information
to be shared across existing and future ground and airborne automation
systems for advanced, high-precision operations.
  The GATI initiative uses operational trials along oceanic routes to
demonstrate international air traffic efficiency improvements. Boeing will
work with the Air Traffic Alliance to fully demonstrate the
intercontinental benefits of the GATI program.
  Additionally, Boeing, NASA and the FAA are developing next-generation
arrival procedures that simultaneously reduce fuel, emissions and noise
with trials in the San Francisco Bay area. Boeing, the Air Traffic
Alliance, Airservices Australia and Qantas Airlines are conducting similar
demonstrations in Australia.
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