Category: International projects

The BULATSA Director General Georgi Peev had a working meeting in Sofia with the new managing team of the air navigation services provider of the Republic of Macedonia (M-NAV) and the Director General Nikolche Taseski. They discussed the current projects and plans for development and modernisation of the ANS systems in both countries. BULATSA representatives shared their experience in the organisational and technological development of the company and in the participation in international projects within SESAR.
The Macedonian delegation showed interest in the work of the Functional airspace block DANUBE FAB. The processes of DANUBE FAB creating, the operation, the aims, the structure and the governing bodies were discussed, as well as the possibilities for the enlargement of the functional block to neighbouring countries.
The two parties agreed on next actions and to continue the collaborative work in safety management, cybersecurity, ANS efficiency and other areas.

BULATSA signed a Memorandum for Cooperation with the air navigation services provider of the Republic of Kosovo – ANSA, at an official meeting in Pristina led by the Director Generals of the two organizations – Mr. Georgi Peev and Mr. Bahri Nuredini. Bulgaria and Kosovo shall cooperate for expansion of the areas of work and interactions in the provision of Air Navigation Services (ANS).

The purpose of the agreement includes common projects for the development of both countries in the field of ANS/ATM, cooperation in ATCO training, exchange of experience and information about the operated technological equipment, etc. The airspace of the Republic of Kosovo has an important role in the optimization of the routes used by the aircraft in this part of the Balkan Peninsula.

Starting today, BULATSA, together with the air navigation services providers of Romania and Hungary – ROMATSA and HungaroControl, expand the Free Route Airspace for flights during the night within the airspace of the three countries.
SEEN FRA (South-East Night Free Route Airspace) Project enables the aircraft to fly freely between published points and radio-navigation means, irrespective of the existing airspace route system.
The new flight planning rules will significantly optimize the airspace routes, without the limitations of the state borders, and shall reduce the fuel expenses and the emissions from aviation. The application of Free Route Airspace concept shall be additionally extended circa 2019 through removal of the airspace route system throughout the day and the night. Free Route Airspace is an important element of the realization of the Single European Sky concept and the achievement of the pan-European air traffic performance targets.

The managements of ASHNA, ANS provider of Kosovo, and BULATSA convened for their first business meeting in Sofia. The Director Generals Georgi Peev and Bahri Nuredini discussed the current projects and plans for development of air navigation services in both countries.
Present at the meeting were also a representative of the Civil Aviation Authority of Kosovo. In the discussions was shared experience regarding the performance scheme and specific international projects, such as SESAR and Centralized Services. The delegation from Kosovo expressed interest in the technological capabilities of BULATSA, radar service, satellite navigation, etc. The parties agreed their mutual meetings to continue.

The Director General of BULATSA, Mr. Georgi Peev, met with the managers of the European Air Navigation Services Providers (ANSPs) at a strategic workshop of the Europe CANSO Chief Executive Officers (CEO) Committee in Brussels.
In the form of interactive debate were reviewed different scenarios for the future of ANSPs, the challenges that might occur in relation to the new technologies, the boom of drone use and the development of the regulative framework in the provision of air navigation services in Europe.
At the workshop were discussed the effect of the performance scheme on the work of ANSPs and the gained experience from its application so far, and were outlined recommendations for improvement of the work in the third reference period 2020 – 2024.
The Single European Sky performance scheme has been established with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 390/2013 laying down a performance scheme for air navigation services and network functions. The performance scheme aims at sustainable development of the air transport system by improving the overall efficiency of air navigation services across the key performance areas of safety, environment, capacity and cost-efficiency, in line with the Performance Framework of the European Air Traffic Management (ATM) Master Plan, while having due regard to the overriding safety objectives.

BULATSA participated in the kick-off meeting of Project 10 PROSA, held on 1-2 December 2016. The Project received funding from the SESAR Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 734143.
The project aims at providing the air traffic controllers with more automated tools for En-Route and Terminal Manoeuvring Area (TMA) conflict detection, thereby allowing them to concentrate on situations where human intervention is crucial. Additional benefits for the conflict detection are expected from using the best available airborn data received either directly from the aircraft or via specific System Wide Information Management (SWIM) services. PROSA will also take into account developments such as drones to ensure safe and seamless operations.
For more information, please visit:
https://www.sesarju.eu/newsroom/all-news/sesar-2020-industrial-research-projects-get-underway

A high-level one day meeting between the SESAR Deployment Manager and BULATSA management was held in Sofia on 17 February 2015.
The Bulgarian ANSP team was led by Mr. Georgi Peev, BULATSA DG. The SESAR DM team was led by Mr. Massimo Garbini, Managing Director SESAR Deployment Manager who was supported by Mr. Jakub Kepa, civil ANSPs Liaison officer, SESAR DM.
This first bilateral meeting was focused on discussions about the latest developments in the European ATM sector, the challenges that lie ahead for SESAR DM and BULATSA, as well as on the exchange of views on the possibilities for cooperation between the two organizations.
SESAR DM and BULATSA used the opportunity to present their recent activities and achievements as well as to identify possible mechanisms for future collaboration.
Both parties shared the understanding that the active dialogue should be continued further and in the light of BULATSA’s interest to identify the best suitable option to interact with and participate in the SESAR Deployment Manager activities.

BULATSA intends to publish in 2015 Performance-based navigation (PBN) procedures for Burgas airport (Bulgaria), validated within the NASCIO project.
The implementation of the new procedures based on satellite technology (GNSS) for the terminal area of Burgas airport, located in Eastern Bulgaria, commenced in 2012.
Two years later, most of the activities are finalised and BULATSA took advantage of the NASCIO project for performing a flight inspection campaign for validation of the procedures. The flights were executed in November 2014 by a Bulgarian flight inspection aircraft and with the support of Pildo Labs and its portable validation platform (PLATERO).
Within the program, RNAV-1 departure and arrival procedures and instrument approach procedures fully based on GNSS for serving both runway ends of the airport will be published. Those procedures will be the first PBN manoeuvres to be published in Bulgaria and will open the door for further implementation at other airports – Varna airport will be next.
The flight inspection is performed within the Navigation SESAR Concepts Involving Operators (NASCIO) demonstration project, co-funded by the SESAR Joint Undertaking.
NASCIO is a follow-up of activities initiated under the technological pillar of the Single European Sky initiative (SESAR). The project aims at integrating, in a coordinated manner, various ongoing initiatives performed within different Research and Technological Frameworks, to develop new advanced navigation concepts defined within SESAR.
The project aims to demonstrate new navigation specifications in eight different scenarios, including rotorcraft and fixed wing aircrafts as the main users that will benefit from the new navigation concepts.