Meetings on the Single European Sky (SES) and RPAS Air Traffic Integration held earlier this month were attended by representatives from European Aviation Organisations. Groups represented at the meetings included SESAR Joint Undertaking, EASA, Eurocontol, and the European Commission (DG MOVE).
The SES meeting aimed to take stock of the conference held in September on the Future of SES. The meeting also looked at concepts promoted by the Airspace Architecture Study and the Wise Persons Group Report.
EDA also hosted the 4th high-level meeting on the Coordination Mechanism between the European Commission, EASA, SJU and EDA for the development and implementation of a joint civil-military Roadmap towards drone Air Traffic Integration. Eurocontrol was also invited to this important EU coordination mechanism which aims to align workstreams in the regulatory, technical and standardisation domains with the overall objective of supporting the Accommodation of a European MALE-type RPAS in the 2020-2025 timeframe, with full integration as of 2025.
The coordination efforts are of particular importance given the limitations to use military RPAS in non-segregated airspace as this harms the effectiveness of the systems. During the discussions, EDA Chief Executive, Jorge Domecq, recalled that the military community recognises the need to collaboratively address the modernisation of the European Air Traffic Management (ATM) system for the benefit of all users, ensuring that some key military principles, in particular, linked to ATM Data Service Provision (ADSP) and Airspace Management, which is a national prerogative, are duly considered.
Finally, EDA Chief Executive, Jorge Domecq and EASA Executive Director, Patrick Ky, presented the ‘Guidelines for the accommodation of military IFR MALE type RPAS under GAT airspace classes A-C’. This document is the result of a task force jointly launched and chaired by EASA and EDA, with valuable contributions from several representatives of military and civil organisations.
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Air Traffic Control civil controlled airspace EASA EDA EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq EU