SDIP MEMBERS – AIRLINES, AIRPORTS, ANSPs, EUROCONTROL – RENEW & SIGN JOINT COMMITMENT TO MODERNISE ATM BEYOND 2027

5 years ago, building on almost a decade of unprecedented industry-driven work performed by the SESAR Deployment Alliance, we collectively decided to come together and join our forces towards the goal of modernizing and digitalizing the

European ATM. Through the establishment of the SESAR Deployment and Infrastructure Partnership (SDIP) Consortium, we jointly committed to assume, keep and maintain a leading and decisive role in addressing the short-and-long term technological challenges our industry is facing.

This partnering approach and joint work by Airlines, ANSPs, Airports and Eurocontrol have shown the capability of our equal Partnership to deliver on its promises and implement tangible results:

• we have established an unparalleled centre of expertise for the ATM industry, with an added value that is acknowledged and trusted by operational stakeholders and institutions;
• we have jointly built a modus operandi rooted on co-creation, that is uniquely inclusive, engaging and effective, as it allows all perspectives and industry expertise to matter;
• along with this distinctive modus operandi, we have established a consultation mechanism that fosters transparency, collaboration and dialogue, that builds on the strengths of our Members and that ensures that every voice contributes to influencing and sharpening the deployment of new technologies in Europe;
• we have also assisted stakeholders in their efforts to deploy and put into operations those highly needed technologies and systems. Over 91% of the Common Project 1 scope is either operational or in the process of being implemented today. In particular,
• almost 50% of it is already deployed into operations, with an adoption rate that keeps ascending year after year;
• we have supported the operational use of these technologies in such a way that has already enabled the industry savings for almost € 17 bln, a figure set to double by 2035. This includes savings of over 2.5 mln tons of CO emissions so far, growing to almost 19 million tons in the next decade;
• we have also directly supported the mobilization of around € 3 bln of investments into ATM modernization through a set of over 350 projects that engaged more than 100 civil and military stakeholders from all EU countries, as part of an unprecedented package of coordinated investments and projects within the industry. These projects – benefitting from critical EU co-funding of € 1.3 bln through the CEF Framework – have also shown the decisive role that EU support has in accelerating change and progress in the ATM industry.

We take pride in these achievements, but also in the unique spirit of partnership and trust that has brought us this far. At the same time, we remain profoundly aware that the challenges and constraints ahead do not allow for complacency but call for further and renewed efforts. Our commitment and resolve have not waned, but deepened: together, in line with the ambition set by recently adopted Single European Sky II+ Regulation, we reaffirm our purpose and aspiration, with the goal of reaching higher and further than before.

We intend to leverage on what we have built so far, nurturing the expertise that we have established and the trust we have created amongst all players; and yet we are also committed to expand our scope of activities and remit. We are therefore open to enlarge the work of our Partnership to other key organizations and institutions that are equally crucial for the success of the ATM modernization.

In particular, we believe that our work is instrumental to achieve one of the objectives of the SES II+ Regulation. Only the uniquely diverse and operationally-anchored composition of our Partnership allows for addressing the critical challenges in front of the European aviation and ATM network. Therefore, we are ready to effectively join forces with the European institutions. In particular, the Partnership is critical to secure an effective, coordinated, and fruitful use of any EU resources that could be available to support.

ATM modernization under the new Multiannual Financial Framework. In order to translate our collective vision into a tangible reality, we have already engaged in multilateral discussions to build concrete, actionable proposals, based on the current SDIP partnership model and taking into account the interest of the European aviation and ATM network, that could support the European Commission in the definition of the future institutional framework post-2027 addressing industrialization, deployment, infrastructure modernization, and contributing to operational performance.

As one team, we are mutually committed to explore further opportunities and ways to contribute to this critical task in the coming months – with determination, purpose and the strength of a Partnership built to last.