The SESAR work programme is in the Airline TEAM 2020 consortiums’ understanding an integrated Programme, involving all relevant stakeholders, where SESAR Solutions are matured for integration into the European ATM network in order to enhance its operational and economic efficiency, safety, security and capacity. It further develops and delivers the necessary operational and technical materials (specifications, procedures, prototypes, validation reports, etc.) for the progressive industrialisation, deployment and operation of a new ATM system. The consortium expects that SESAR 2020 will bring new ideas to the market and increase the pace of change in ATM, being part of the technology pillar of the European Union’s Single European Sky (SES). Ultimately, this means greater mobility and choice for our passengers in Europe; a more collaborative and better performing network. SESAR 2020 is also addressing the technology improvements as virtualisation and ATC contingency readiness, needed for better air traffic management in case of strikes and disruptions Aviation is a global industry and interoperability together with global harmonisation are key for its safe and sustained growth. The consortium will operationally support by this offer a project which will demonstrate the benefits for Airspace User (AU) in the operation of cross-border Arrival Management systems (AMAN) with an extended horizon in accordance with the Pilot Common Project (PCP) First Air Traffic Management (ATM) Functionality (AF#1), as well as the demonstration of AU involvement in the operation of two AMAN-related advanced concepts: the Target Time (TT) management concept and the Arrival Flexibility (A-FLEX) concept, which connect the Extended AMAN concept to the PCP Fourth ATM Functionality (AF#4). The consortium will ensure the required operational capabilities of European airspace users to contribute to the overall project objectives of SESAR 2020 PJ 25.

The future ATM system concerns the entire ATM community. ATM is seen as a critical element in the air transport value chain and key to connecting Europe’s regions while making it a global hub for mobility and prosperity. The focus of ATM modernisation needs therefore to reflect a greater focus towards increased efficiency and effectiveness while sustaining or even improving the levels of safety and security. At the same time, it must also recognise the need to provide solutions to address critical capacity bottlenecks. ATM modernisation should continue to look at the flight as a whole, e.g. end to end, within a flow and network context, and not in segmented portions of its trajectory, as is still the case today. With this in mind, the vision will be realised across the entire ATM system, offering improvements at every phase of a flight from early planning to complete execution. This vision is building on the notion of “Trajectory Based Operations” and relies on the provision of Air Navigation Services in support of the execution of the business or mission trajectory - meaning that Airspace Users can fly their preferred trajectories without being constrained by airspace configurations. This vision is enabled by a progressive increase of the level of automation support, the implementation of virtualisation technologies and the use of standardised and interoperable systems. The solutions resulting from SESAR 1 and common projects, as well as further R&D under SESAR 2020, will contribute to the above mentioned improvements and benefits to be realised through the gradual implementation and deployment of the SESAR Target Concept. The SESAR Target Concept aims to achieve high performing ATM by enabling airspace users to fly their optimum trajectories. This concept relies on the effective sharing of information between air and ground actors throughout the business or mission trajectory lifecycle.

* DIGITS-AU is the essential Airspace User complement to the DIGITS project (Demonstration of ATM Improvements Generated by Initial Trajectory Sharing). DIGITS was granted under H2020-SESAR-2015-2, SESAR.ID-VLD.Wave1-27-2015, and its continuation is dependent on the participation of Airspace Users (AU). * As required, DIGITS-AU brings together Airspace Users - who operate (even partially) in the airspace of ANSPs participating to DIGITS, namely DFS, ENAV, MUAC and NATS and - who will receive through this Call new onboard avionics capability which allows to downlink trajectory predictions, the so-called Extended Projected Profile (EPP), for sharing with Air Traffic Control. * This proposal addresses also the interface with other SESAR 2020 projects, by nature with PJ31 DIGITS, but also with PJs 01, 09, 10 and 18 in order to contribute to the identification of benefit potentials facilitated by this new airborne technology. The capture of real fuel burn reduction for DIGITS-AU flights is not possible due to the fact that ground ATC systems are used in an pre-operational or shadow mode, based on which air traffic controllers may not alter their instructions. Nevertheless "what-if" cases shall be identified as far as observations possibly allow and the theoretical fuel burn gain calculated.