EC, FAA Agree to Cooperate to Modernise Air Traffic Management
July 19, 2006
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The European Commission (EC) and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently signed a cooperation agreement that will ensure coordination between their respective programmes for the modernisation of air traffic control. The two programmes are the Single European Sky ATM Research Programme (SESAR) on the European side and Next-Generation Air Transport System (NGATS) on the American side.
"We must have compatible technologies and standards between Europe and the United States," said Jacques Barrot, EC commissioner responsible for transport, as he signed the agreement. "This is obviously a question of good economic sense but also a safety issue: you cannot ask an aircraft to change over its equipment in the middle of the Atlantic depending on whether it is being controlled by the U.S.A or Europe. With this agreement, we will be sure that the technological choices made on the two sides of the Atlantic are coordinated for the benefit of the aviation industry."
FAA administrator Marion Blakey, who also signed the agreement, said, "As FAA moves forward its aggressive air traffic modernization efforts, it's vital that we coordinate with our global partners. This memorandum provides the framework for a more effective, performance-based air transportation system between the United States and Europe."
SESAR is currently in its definition phase, which has been entrusted to a consortium of 30 companies. On June 9, 2006 the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers adopted general guidelines for the next phase of SESAR, the "development phase," during which all the new technologies and systems will be constructed. Ministers approved the principle of creating a "SESAR joint undertaking," which will be responsible for managing the development phase.
The cooperation agreement signed by the EC and the FAA not only makes it possible to put in place the mechanisms for coordinating the two programmes, but also includes a reciprocity clause that allows European industry to participate in NGATS and American industry to participate in SESAR.
For more information, see:
- The EC memo on "The SESAR programme: Making air travel safer, cheaper and more efficient"
- The EU web portal on Air Transport
Source: European Commission.