Airspace world Today

Igniting passion for aviation

The Future Skies: Tomorrow’s Voices initiative had a huge impact on the final day of Airspace World. Across a breakfast and multiple sessions, some key points in the attraction and retention of young professionals were highlighted, some of which are not always considered.

A hybrid environment has pros and cons, for example. For the younger generation, it is seen as a positive, providing not only work-life flexibility but also the opportunity to speak up. The virtual environment can enable a confidence that is sometimes missing in the physical world with bigger, older voices dominating conversations.

But from the point of view of leadership however, a hybrid environment can make it difficult to create the right culture and to fully understand the needs of individuals, which are more apparent when working side-by-side in an office.

Another concept very rarely at the front of mind is reverse mentorship – where the younger generation share their insights and inspire leaders. The concept is attributed to Jack Welch, the famous former boss of General Electric. Essentially, young professionals are more attuned to the capabilities and promise of new technologies and procedures and have a stronger affiliation with future plans. The process could add tremendous value to an organisation, as could the impact of healthy equality and diversity policies. A CANSO/Firstfruits survey showed, for example, that gender imbalance is perceived as a health and wellbeing issue rather than pay, and 75 per cent agree that their organisation is an inclusive place to work.

The CANSO/Firstfruits survey highlighted five factors in attraction and retention:

Support for health and wellbeing
Inclusivity and diversity
Meaningfulness of work
Reliable and supportive people
Total compensation

Cross-referencing the responses it was clear that, in terms of attraction, passion for the sector counts more than money. This will be a challenge for air traffic management (ATM), often termed “the invisible highway”. People walk through airports and fly on aircraft, but the orchestrator of air traffic connectivity, ATM, can go unnoticed.

The importance of diversity in recruitment rounded out the conversations. One tip is to focus on the strength of people as this will naturally lead to diversity. Different backgrounds have different abilities and so pursuing diversity will inevitably lead to a stronger organisation.

The aim should be to build young, diverse teams, get them to work together and then enjoy the positive results.

The CANSO Air Traffic Management Podcast spoke to two of today's participants. You can listen to that interview here.

Getting ready for cybersecurity regulations

Francesca Popescu and Yann Berger from Airbus explored Part-IS, a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) initiative that introduces requirements for the management of security risks that could affect information and communication technology systems and data used for civil aviation purposes.

Presenting at the Indra Theatre, Popescu and Berger gave an in-depth of analysis of what is technically Regulation 2023/203, noting it will align with the US Federal Aviation Administration requirements and is broader in applicability than many EASA regulations.

They pointed out that Part-IS – which will come into effect from October 2025 – is far more than a requirement for an Information Security Management System (ISMS) and should be studied carefully.

Berger said the goal should be to go beyond compliance. An ISMS is based on the idea of continuous improvement and so there will doubtless be additional requirements in future.

Indeed, he noted the industry must ultimately aim towards integrated risk management where physical safety meets cybersecurity. Organisations affected should perform a gap assessment and then define an implementation strategy to overcome any shortcomings.

In a wide-ranging discussion, the differences between risk management in the air and on the ground were also highlighted, as each is exposed to distinct types of attack and risk.

Aircraft, for example, don’t have cyber specialists on board and cannot immediately adjust systems. The aim therefore is to ensure prevention – attackers must not be able to get at aircraft systems inflight.

On the ground, there are not such clearly defined boundaries, and the vulnerabilities are far greater. Because it is impossible to protect against every potential attack, a combination of prevention, detection and reaction is the most viable way forward. Organisations should also have a good reporting system so that authorities and relevant third parties can anticipate an attack or react as necessary.

Berger concluded that the aim must always be an end-to-end approach that ensures safety and security risks are minimised.

Preparing for new airspace users

Richard Ellis from NATS gave the audience a glimpse of the future with his presentation on new airspace users at the Future Skies Theatre.

Ellis explained that the skies of 2034 will be very different from those of today. The speed of development is difficult to ascertain but there is little doubt that disruptive technologies and new airspace entrants will transform the industry.

He highlighted a number of areas that have already begun changing or are at least in the planning stage:

There will be a modal shift in transportation. Although human pilots may initially be involved in some advanced air mobility (AAM) flights, eventually uncrewed operations at scale will be routine.
Airspace will be integrated from space to ground. Ellis emphasised that it cannot only be about what is happening below 500ft but rather must involve a more holistic approach.
Regulators must embark on the same journey as the industry and enable different flight regulations, including digital instrument Flight Rules (IFR). Ellis suggested that AAM will use visual flight rules (VFR), then move to IFR before digital IFR becomes commonplace.
Infrastructure will become increasingly complex and abundant with vertiports springing up across cities. The number and location of vertiports will be an important factor in the concept of operations (CONOPS) as most new airspace users will rely on battery power and so managing their flight times and capabilities will be critical to safety.
Air navigation service providers (ANSPs) will need to accelerate and complete their digitalisation work to integrate all airspace users safely and seamlessly.

Ellis said there are several difficult challenges and questions ahead, such as determining the capacity needed since many areas will potentially go from hundreds of flights a day to tens of thousands.

He called for ANSPs to de-risk as much as possible. Possible risk mitigation strategies include validating the CONOPS and business cases at the earliest opportunity, providing regulators with the requisite data to help them make informed separation standard rules, and generating visualisations of future airspace.

On the road to virtualisation

A SESAR walking tour on virtualisation took in developments on display at the DLR, Frequentis and Indra stands.

SESAR’s Adriano Acanfora – the host of the tour – set the scene by explaining that the ultimate goal is a digital European sky that is efficient, resilient and sustainable. An important step on this path is the creation of virtual control centres that decouple the technology from the air traffic controller (ATCO).

At the Indra stand, it was explained the Virtual Centre with Triangle Architecture and Cyber Resilience (VITACTY) project and its involvement in iSNAP, which is the name for the technological evolution of the iTEC SkyNex platform.

VITACY will separate and provide data related to specific functionalities, such as arrival management (AMAN), time-based separation (TBS) and conflict detection. Validation tests in AMAN and TBS are ongoing and anticipated benefits include cost savings through the greater rationalisation of services. VITACY will also open the door for competition in data provision.

iSNAP, meanwhile, will advance iTEC communications to a more robust model, updating the ATM system supervision and data recording functions. The calculated trajectory of each flight plan will also be improved thanks to information received directly from the aircraft.

At Frequentis, it was explained that moving the technology into a data centre away from the controller has enormous advantages for resilience. There could be a second or third operational centre, for example, and even a second data centre. Aside from strengthening contingency plans this enables updates to be easily undertaken. The theory is that, ultimately, control of an airspace sector can be performed from anywhere in Europe, realising the digital sky dream.

The final element in this idea was described at the DLR stand. The Increased Flexibility of ATCO Validations (IFAV3) project will fill an important gap in the virtualisation concept. As it stands, ATCOs are endorsed on a specific sector following months of on-the-job training, which is expensive in terms of time and money and limits operational agility.

The idea is that through support tools, procedural changes, competency-based training, smart sector grouping and automation, ATCOs can be endorsed for multiple sectors. For example, tools might include a heat map that predicts future traffic density while procedural changes will move towards standardisation. User cases will also involve remote towers.

ATCOs that can move across sectors will complement the idea of virtual centres. It will make better use of existing capacity, improve resilience, enhance rostering possibilities and lower training costs.

New competition for airspace means new rules

Introduction

Competition for airspace around the world is fiercer than ever and air traffic is becoming increasingly complex to manage, as the aviation industry continues to find new ways to use the air domain in service of human endeavour.

At the same time as regular use of the airspace below 500 ft is increasing (think drones and passenger carrying air taxi / urban air mobility operations), non-aircraft (both physical and non-physical) airspace users are asserting their own right to use, affect or occupy a precious piece of the sky, putting even more pressure on the systems we need to ensure the safe, efficient and regular use of airspace.

The new competition

In the past, the airspace below 500 ft has been the domain of the specially trained who are adept at avoiding the ground and myriad of other hazards that concentrate just above the intersection of earth and sky. Aerial application and firefighting, search and rescue / aeromedical activities and low-level military operations are just some of the activities that necessarily occur in this hazardous environment. It is also where all aircraft are exposed to the highest risk of an accident – during take-off and landing.

In recent years this airspace has become increasingly occupied by millions of drones in the pursuit of leisure, commerce, agriculture, research, survey, medical and sometimes other more nefarious activities.

Meanwhile, the airspace above 500 ft, which has traditionally been the preserve of aircraft and the occasional tall structure in more developed areas, will soon be intruded upon by millions of wind turbines and supporting meteorological monitoring masts in areas close to and remote from built up areas, both on and offshore, as the world transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energy in pursuit of net zero carbon emissions. These tall structures, extending towards 1000 ft high and beyond, occupy airspace and intrude upon flight paths that are relatively undefended from potentially adverse impacts.

And now, with the imminent introduction of commercial, passenger carrying, air taxi / urban air mobility operations which will operate predominantly in the lower levels of airspace including below 500 ft, the global airspace and air traffic management sector is striving to establish a safe and efficient operating system that will accommodate these new users within a regulatory framework that is already struggling to keep up with technological advancements.

Changing the rules

Changing the rules will involve all elements of the air traffic management system, including separation standards, air traffic control, flight path design and surveillance systems. We’ll also need to improve airspace protection arrangements.

Separation standards. The commercial success of air taxi / urban air mobility operations relies in part on the value proposition that they will be able to get people from one place to another faster for roughly the same price as land (or sea) based transport options. To do this, they want to be able to fly between origin and destination without any delay. Given operations are likely to be conducted within or through controlled airspace with restrictive separation standards, the challenge is to achieve efficiency outcomes through reduced separation standards between these airspace users without compromising safety.

To do that we need to know with a high level of accuracy and certainty where each aircraft is, where it’s going, its planned flight path and operating parameters, and work out a way to enable these operations, dynamically and in real time.

Air traffic control. The traditional concept of a human air traffic controller managing a sector of airspace, monitoring and directing the various aircraft for which they are responsible as they move along their flight paths, supported by pre-programmed computer-based logic, will almost certainly persist for upper level and terminal airspace operations.

Low level airspace, though, will need a new approach to air traffic management – hence the brilliant and extensive work currently underway to develop and implement unmanned air traffic management (UTM) systems based on artificial intelligence that is supported by human monitoring and intervention.

New flight paths. Air taxis and other high frequency low level airspace users will also expect dedicated flight paths to be established, often within the most congested piece of the sky. The right to relatively unfettered occupation of certain parts of the airspace is being asserted as a fundamental requirement for the success of these future operations and is a real challenge to traditional airspace control arrangements.

Surveillance systems. Traditional aircraft surveillance systems are designed to be ground-mounted and look up, continuously searching for and attempting to interact with small aircraft specks as they traverse the skies above.

With aircraft equipped with appropriate onboard systems, cooperative interaction and satellite-based sensors, surveillance systems will be better able to look down and ‘see’ these aircraft at all levels from an even greater distance, providing better resolution of the airspace situation to airspace controllers, whether human or artificial.

Airspace protection. There will need to be more robust mechanisms to apportion and adjudicate on the rights of the various flying and non-flying airspace users, as taller structures and non-physical airspace users compete for parts of the sky towards and beyond 500 ft above the ground and more aircraft occupy the lower levels. An infringement of a flight path or obstacle protection surface can be resolved if the flight path or protection surface is modified, thereby preserving appropriate safety margins. But these changes almost always come with a compromise to efficient aircraft operations, and there is a lack of robust or universal guidance about how to effectively and fairly balance these competing interests.

Conclusion

Increased competition from aircraft and non-aircraft (physical and non-physical) for constrained low-level airspace means that we need new rules to ensure safe, efficient and regular aircraft operations while permitting desired development and technological advancements. While there is plenty of work to do, with the energy being directed to this task, the outcome is exciting and seems assured.

The Urban Air Traffic Management Concept

Urban ATM is the collection of systems and services to support the integration of all operations in the urban airspace environment, including Regulations, Organizations, Airspace Structures and Procedures, Technologies, and the Environment. The term “urban” is used to signify the area where new advanced high-integrity ATM services are likely to be required to support the integration of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and drones.

Given the need for eVTOLs to be integrated with other aircraft from initial operations, Eve believes that the introduction and evolution of this new type of aircraft will be the catalyst for a new approach to managing traffic in urban environments.

Urban ATM will support the integrated operation of initially piloted Urban Air Mobility (UAM) aircraft and other airspace users in low-level airspace, enabling the optimized performance and safety of UAM operations and providing a roadmap toward the integration of autonomous aircraft.

Optimizing the performance of operations is not limited to just separation services but will include consideration of all ICAO Key Performance Areas (Safety, Security, Environment, Cost Effectiveness, Capacity, Flight Efficiency, Flexibility, Predictability, Access & Equity, Participation & Collaboration and Global Interoperability).

Initial Urban ATM services may focus more on performance areas such as flight efficiency, flexibility, predictability, and participation and collaboration. Safety will be achieved through traditional ATM arrangements and pilots conducting operations under Visual Flight Rules (VFR).

Urban ATM services that enable the integration of all airspace users will differ from those required for UAS Traffic Management (UTM) in terms of functionality and level of integrity. They will support piloted, remotely piloted, and autonomous aircraft operations. Given their proximity, Urban ATM services will need to integrate with both traditional ATM and UTM services. It is expected that UTM services will continue to be utilized for segregated uncrewed aircraft systems operations (for example, in areas below 500 ft).

Eve sees the evolution of UAM operations occurring over several horizons, where different features for operations will take place.

Horizon 1 – UAM Launch

Expected deployment timeline: 2025
Initial piloted UAM aircraft operations using conventional ATM Procedures & Technology
Implementation of existing ATM concepts (e.g. VFR routes)
New vertiport and fleet operations planning, information sharing, flow management, and situational awareness Urban ATM solutions (provided by ANSPs or other parties)

Horizon 2 – UAM Scale

Expected deployment timeline: late 2020s
UAM aircraft operations where current ATM procedures and technologies are insufficient to support the demand for operations.
New ATM solutions will be needed to enable the UAM industry to scale

Horizon 3 – Integration of uncrewed passenger carrying aircraft

Expected deployment timeline: early to mid-2030s
A mix of piloted, remotely piloted and autonomous UAM aircraft operations with other airspace users
Integration of UTM and Urban ATM concepts

Tomorrow, we will introduce Eve’s work to develop technology solutions to support initial eVTOL operations.

For more information, visit us at the Atech stand F22

eveairmobility.com

About the author: Rob Weaver is the Urban ATM Global Business Development Lead for Eve Air Mobility, the Embraer backed start-up dedicated to accelerating the global UAM ecosystem. He also leads Entry Into Service planning for Eve’s eVTOL aircraft in Australia.

Rob has worked with Embraer-X and Eve on new ATM concepts to support UAM since 2018. Previously he was Executive General Manager Safety, Environment & Assurance at Airservices Australia, where he was a member of the Executive for six years. He has also worked for the UK’s Air Navigation Service Provider and holds a PhD in safety critical systems from the University of York.

EagleShield – CUAS for Airports- UAS fast detection & identification a must

The increase in the number of drones flying around the world has been exponential. In less than a decade, drones have gone from an expensive technology available to a few, to a mainstream toy or capability within reach of anybody.

Knowing what is flying and where, be it collaborative or non-collaborative is a must. Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) represent a significant threat for airports, airlines and, ultimately, air passengers worldwide.

A few incidents have already demonstrated how even just the presence of a drone near an airport’s glidepath – let alone a collision – can affect airport operations. Hours of closures, hundreds of delayed or cancelled flights, dissatisfied passengers, all incur considerable costs for both airlines and airports. Incidents that may also adversely affect reputation.

Yet, today radar technologies currently deployed at most airports around the world are not designed to deal with UAS, in particular micro (2kg) and mini (2-20kg) drones. These drones feature a very small Radar Cross Section (RCS) capable of flying at low altitudes, high speeds and unpredictable patterns, making them objects particularly difficult to detect.

No one sensor can tackle the UAS threat alone, especially as the menace from non-collaborative drones – that is, drones flying without transmitting any information allowing their identification – continues to increase.

The right combination according to airport needs lies in the ability to design a bespoke solution that can efficiently and effectively detect, identify and track any UAS.

To address this fast-emerging drone threat we have developed the EagleShield – CUAS for Airports - (Counter - Unmanned Aerial System). A multi-sensor solution featuring its core the Gamekeeper holographic radar, enabling, long-range detection, identification and tracking of both collaborative and non-collaborative drones, protecting airport glidepaths for safer take-offs and landings.

EagleShield -CUAS for Airports- is a multi-layered and scalable solution comprising: a Gamekeeper holographic radar, long-range electro-optic (EO) sensors, Radio Frequency Direction Finders (RF) and remote ID sensors. The Gamekeeper radar features a 7.5km detection range and a 90° horizontal coverage, and the long-range EO sensors are crucial to detect non-collaborative drones - that is, drones flying without transmitting any information allowing their identification.

There are two key advantages to having a multi-layered drone detection system: The fusion of multiple sensors increases detection while also reducing false alarms, making sure that flight operations stay on time and are not interrupted by false alarms. In addition as a system of system solution, EagleShield -CUAS for Airports- is sensor- agnostic. The Gamekeeper radar and network infrastructure provided by Thales can integrate a large range of EO sensors, RF and/or remote ID sensor solutions according to airport operational needs. This offers a high level of flexibility to airports large or small around the world and ensures flight operations stay on time and remain secure.

EagleShield -CUAS for Airports- provides a holistic, long-range protection of the glidepaths and airport vicinity against non-collaborative and collaborative UAS. With 3 demonstration centers in the world, discover the demo for yourself.

To find out more join us on the Thales stand J25 at Airspace World show or contact communications.ams@thalesgroup.com.

Faster drone flight approvals with FREQUENTIS automated risk assessment tool in Lithuania

Frequentis digital application to cut the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) process time by up to 75 per cent
Automated risk assessment will enable scalable beyond visual line of sight operations
World’s first automated and digital risk analysis service as value add to an UTM system

Oro Navigacija, the air navigation service provider (ANSP) of Lithuania, is extending its Frequentis uncrewed traffic management (UTM) solution with a digital, automated, risk assessment tool to speed up the classification of the risk posed by a drone flight in the specific category of operations and for the identification of mitigations and of the safety objectives.

The digital application from skyzr, a member of the Frequentis Group, is the world’s first for automated risk analysis supporting drone operators with creating SORA according to the guidelines defined by the Joint Authorities for Rulemaking of Unmanned Systems and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), cutting operator process time by up to 75 per cent.

The service, called wingman, will be provided as a web and mobile friendly application to be integrated into the future Lithuania UTM system, once deployed and operational. It follows the strategy to create a complete drone environment as a one stop shop for value added drone related services.

“In Lithuania, as with the rest of the world, the commercial need for scalable drone operations is increasing. Therefore, we are pleased to be able to support our Lithuanian drone industry by providing “wingman” as first additional value-add service to create digital risk assessments for faster flight permissions,” said Saulius Batavičius, CEO Oro Navigacija. “We are pleased to continue working with Frequentis by extending our current UTM service portfolio, harnessing their experience from other drone integration projects, while incorporating the specific needs of our airspace.”

In June 2023, Oro Navigacija selected Frequentis to provide its proven UTM solution for safe, efficient, and conformant introduction of drones into Lithuanian airspace as drone use cases grow.

“Automated and efficient risk assessments for drone operations will add value and safety to the ecosystem and, in particular, for emergency services. skyzr is pleased to be providing this additional digital service for the first ANSP in Europe to facilitate commercially valuable and lifesaving drone use cases. The extension of the wingman application, alongside the Frequentis UTM system, will further enhance safety and conformance and the ability for drones to scale with the perceived demand,” says Markus Bardach, Managing Director skyzr.

Roman Stickler, Frequentis Domain Sales Manager; Thomas Pilsl, Frequentis Vice President New Market Solutions; Saulius Batavicius, Oro Navigacija CEO; Jurate Stanisauskiene, Oro Navigacija Chairperson; Markus Bardach, Skyzr Managing Director; Mantas Sukevicias, Board Member Oro Navigacija; © Frequentis

People are our strength

Katrina Hall, Deputy Chief Operating Officer NAS Programs and Support, FAA ATO, is a key panellist at our Inclusive Skies: Strategies for Diversity in Aviation session in the Boeing Theatre on Wednesday 20 March, at 15:30. Here she talks about the importance of diversity and inclusion in the ATM industry.

Is aviation an attractive industry to Gen Z?

Aviation is undergoing momentous change. Drones and commercial space vehicles are revolutionizing the industry, we’re introducing digital technologies and looking at how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to increase safety. There are future technologies that I can only dream about and have yet to be invented. We need to recruit a passionate and curious workforce as we integrate all these new technologies into the system.

I think aviation, with its strong history of innovation and focus on connecting people, is attractive to Gen Z. Our challenge is ensuring that through outreach, we meet them on their terms, in their spaces. For example, we have a strong digital footprint on social media and collaborate with influencers from our target audiences to engage with and provide information to Gen Zers on aviation opportunities.

What more can we do to close the gender gap?

Women play critical roles throughout the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Organizations like Professional Women Controllers, Inc., Technical Women’s Organization and the Federal Women’s Program are breaking down barriers to the hiring and advancement of women as well as enhancing employment opportunities for women in every area of federal service.

We know we have more work to do, and through our diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) outreach programs continue to engage with women and female students to show them the career opportunities that exist in aviation.

How important are role models?

I believe that role models are hugely important. It’s so much easier to see yourself in a career if you have a person who can support or inspire you on your journey.

We know that there are many talented people who would excel in aviation, however if you are in a community where no one talks about aviation it’s hard to imagine oneself making it a career. That’s why I am so passionate about mentorship – I’m able to provide information and see opportunities that the person may never have considered.

In addition to our established recruitment efforts, those of us who work in aviation are the best advocates for our industry. I believe we should all aspire to be the role model that we wanted/needed when we started our professional journeys.

What constitutes success in diversity?

At the FAA people are our strength. We are stronger, more innovative, and more successful when diverse talents and experiences are present at the table. The mission of the FAA is to ensure the safety of a diverse nation. It only makes sense that the workforce responsible for that mission reflects the nation that it serves.

For the FAA, diversity is a wide range of life experiences and backgrounds. We believe diversity is needed to ensure multiple perspectives are at the table, guarantee safety as a priority, and promote a healthy work environment. We believe that when we work together, we will advance our objectives more efficiently and effectively than if we do not.

Hear from Katrina at the Inclusive Skies: Strategies for Diversity in Aviation session, Wednesday 20 March, 15:30, Boeing Theatre

Reflections on a super Tuesday

Tuesday saw the opening day of Airspace World 2024, with thousands of attendees from over 130 countries coming to be part of the largest ATM gathering. You can see all of yesterday's pictures here.

Don’t waste a Wednesday at Airspace World

Airspace World is in full swing, and all our speakers and exhibitors are stepping up to the challenge of keeping our attendees engaged and informed. As ever, there is a full programme of sessions at the five theatres. Here are just a few highlights:

10:00-10:25am Wing Theatre

Electronic Conspicuity, the Roadblock to AAM

A complete picture of airspace is necessary for the safety of all users. The concept of sharing position data is called Electronic Conspicuity. Traditionally, this is done with ADS-B systems but not all aircraft can or choose to use ADS-B. This session will look at UTM, designed to be a comprehensive EC system capable of supporting various types of flight plans and flight tracking systems.

10:30-11:20am Boeing Theatre

Solving a Decades-Old Problem: Dynamic Civil-Military Airspace Sharing

A US company is looking to facilitate civil-military cooperation. Its solution – called Dynamic Airspace Sharing – provides tools to military range commanders, air traffic controllers and flights dispatchers. The aim is to achieve notable reductions in flight times, operating expenses and CO2 emissions.

1:00-1:50pm Indra Theatre

Securing our Skies: Addressing Cybersecurity Challenges

Increasing digitalisation means an increasing cybersecurity challenge. Participants in this panel will explore the latest emerging technologies relevant to aviation, and discuss the measures, strategies, and collaborative efforts required to fortify the integrity of our airspace systems.

2:30-2:55pm Future Skies Theatre

Enabling Reasonable Autonomy for Emphatic AI Agents in ATM through Large Language Models

Large Language Models (LLMs) have the potential to shape aviation’s future. LLMs can function as reasoning engines, self-deciding agents and human-machine interfaces on a variety of fields, such as ATCO workflows, airline operations and U-space services. Learn how these models ingest relevant data and output informed answers.

4:00-4:25pm Frequentis Theatre

The Power of Sharing: Operational Benefits of Convergence

Find out how advanced digital technology is driving a convergence between airport and tower operations. This promises several advantages, including enhanced situational awareness, an increased time horizon for decision-making and optimisation of airport capacity.

Theatre Highlights

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Highlighted speakers

Agenda

Tue 26 May

Event

Location

Speakers

10:00am

10:25am

Unable, due airspace constraints: why ATM must expedite a radical transformation of airspace management

Integra Theatre

Doug Meyehoff Martin Hawley

Event info

Airspace is strategic infrastructure for both civil and military airspace users, and the foundation on which air traffic management is built. How we use the airspace, however, is suboptimal. Major ATM programmes have treated airspace as still air, yet the air is moving; airlines have been planning flights with winds for over 70 years. The flexible use of airspace, a civil-military concept, is flexible in process only; the airspace itself is constrained geographically. In Europe, network delays dominate our thinking at the same time that aviation faces multiple strategic threats, from conflicts to climate change. How can we break out of this legacy thinking? Airspace Unlimited welcomes you to join us on a journey to transform how we analyse, design and manage the airspace, where the future is highly-modular and wind based.

Subject areas

10:00am

10:25am

ATHENIAN Project Redesigns Athens TMA with Performance-Based Navigation: A collaborative initiative for modernizing airspace operations with operational and environmental benefits.

Boeing Theatre

Despoina Papandreou Nikolaos Iosif

Event info

People, Skills & Next-Gen, Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

ATHENIAN (“ATHENs termInal Area redesign & pbN”) is a project set to redesign the Athens Terminal Manoeuvering Area (TMA) and implement satellite Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedures for aircraft arrivals and departures at Athens International Airport.

The project is co-funded by the European Union under the Connecting Europe Facility – Transport Sector and specifically SESAR framework. The project is implemented by a collaborating group of expert partners comprising of the Hellenic Aviation Service Provider (HASP), AEGEAN, SKY Express, and EUROCONTROL, coordinated by Athens International Airport S.A. (AIA).

The aim is to establish a fully PBN-based airspace concept to align with EU regulation 2018/1048, and the European Air Traffic Management (ATM) Master Plan. The new concept of satellite-based navigation will enhance the airport operations and will reduce reliance on ground-based navigational aids, with clear benefits in:

flight efficiency,
aircraft noise and CO₂ emissions,
cost-efficiency, and
passenger experience

The ATHENIAN project was launched in January 2023 and is planned for completion by the end of 2027 in a phased manner.

The first phase was completed in January 2024, and includes:

a full topographical obstacle survey within the boundaries of Athens TMA geographical area,
the development of 78 “Overlay PBN” arrival and departure procedures in the existing TMA setup.

The second phase began in April 2024, for the comprehensive redesign of the Athens TMA alongside a new set of PBN procedures.
A major milestone was reached in February 2025 with the delivery of the Concept of Operations (ConOps) for the new redesigned TMA. The ATHENIAN project is actively engaging experts of many more industry key contributors such as:

The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA),
The Hellenic Air Force (HAF),
The IATA, AOC (Airline Operators Committee) at Athens Intl. Airport and RYANAIR,
The General Aviation Users representatives, and
The Local Communities.

The objective is to ensure and accelerate the PBN implementation in Athens, under the frame of a greater airspace re-design, benefiting from the operational improvements derived from new airspace concepts, in terms of flight efficiency, reduced environment impact and sustainable operations.

Key success factor for the project is the collaborative spirit cultivated between the ATHENIAN project partners and all involved stakeholders, through their active engagement.

Subject areas

People, Skills & Next-Gen

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

10:00am

10:25am

D-FLIGHT - first year as certified USSP

Wing Theatre

Alberto Iovino

Event info

Drones & UTM

D-FLIGHT is the Italian provider of digital services for unmanned aircraft operations, supporting the safe and efficient integration of drones into national airspace. Operating at the intersection of aviation regulation, air traffic management, and digital innovation, D-FLIGHT delivers services that enable compliant, scalable, and interoperable UAS operations. In its first year as a certified U-space Service Provider (USSP), D-FLIGHT successfully transitioned from foundational digital services to operational U-space service delivery, demonstrating compliance with the European regulatory framework. This initial year focused on operational readiness, stakeholder integration, and service reliability, laying the groundwork for scalable U-space operations and contributing to the broader European U-space ecosystem.

Subject areas

Drones & UTM

10:00am

10:50am

A6 Alliance: Strategic Vision & European ATM Transformation

Viasat Theatre

Arndt Schoenemann Enrique Maurer Frederic Guignier Kathryn Leahy Mariagrazia La Piscopia Philipp Piber

Event info

Policy, Regulation & Governance

A6 Alliance and its members are responsible for the safe management of more than 80% of Europe’s air traffic, and more than 70% of the investment in the future European ATM infrastructure. CEOs of the largest ANSPs in Europe discuss Air Traffic Management (ATM) modernisation as a strategic priority for Europe. Why should ATM modernisation be understood as a strategic investment for Europe’s prosperity, resilience and sovereignty, rather than as an operational cost of the aviation sector? What is at stake for Europe’s global competitiveness and technological leadership if ATM modernisation stalls, and how can Europe move faster from R&D to large-scale industrial deployment? To what extent is ATM modernisation a prerequisite for achieving the EU’s climate and sustainability objectives? What concrete political, regulatory, and investment decisions are required now at EU level to ensure ATM modernisation delivers tangible results by 2030 and beyond?

Subject areas

Policy, Regulation & Governance

10:30am

10:55am

Trajectory Based Operations for Sustainable Aviation

Boeing Theatre

Chip Meserole

Event info

Subject areas

10:30am

11:20am

CANSO Leadership Conversation: ATM Modernisation Across Diverse Fiscal Models

Integra Theatre

Emil Rogers Franklin McIntosh James Young Martin Rolfe Tim Arel

Event info

Air Navigation Service Providers operate within very different funding environments — from corporatised and user-funded models to state-funded systems and hybrid approaches — yet all face the same imperative: modernising infrastructure and preparing for future operations.
This CEO conversation will explore how ANSPs are financing transformation in practice, examining the opportunities and constraints created by different fiscal frameworks. Leaders will share perspectives on investment strategies, prioritisation of modernisation programmes, partnerships with industry, and how to balance financial sustainability with operational continuity, and innovation objectives.
By comparing experiences across regions, the session aims to highlight practical lessons and identify approaches that can support resilient and future-ready ATM systems, regardless of funding model.

Subject areas

10:30am

10:55am

Safety-Assured AI for Airport Surface Ops: From Early-Warning Safety Intelligence to Modular ATC Automation

Frequentis Theatre

Luke Gotszling Yamaç Işık

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies, Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

The future of airspace depends on our ability to harmonize innovation with absolute safety. This session presents a blueprint for the next generation of airport operations, showcasing how AI-driven automation transforms both safety management and ATC efficiency. Airports need more capacity and efficiency but need to avoid brittle automation. This session presents practical, deployable ways to use AI as a secondary safety layer and as assisted ATC automation for airport surface operations. We’ll walk through a production-minded approach that moves from concept to day-to-day ops using modular, interoperable, service-oriented components that can integrate with existing tower and airport infrastructure.

Attendees will see how a real-time safety intelligence layer can detect emerging hazards early (surface conflicts, runway crossings, abnormal taxi behavior) and escalate with clear, auditable alerts. We’ll then show how automation can be introduced safely for clearances and instructions: pushback, taxi routing, and conditional advisories using constraint-based logic, human-in-the-loop controls, and continuous performance monitoring.

Because resilience matters as much as capability, we’ll cover assurance and recovery: graceful degradation under incomplete data, and contingency modes that keep operations safe when automation is unavailable.

A case study and live demonstration will ground the discussion and prove results, including implementation lessons, safety case strategies, and measurable operational impact.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

10:30am

10:55am

Enabling Scalable Urban Air Mobility Through Automated Flight Rules

Wing Theatre

Jia Xu

Event info

Seamless Skies for All

As Advanced Air Mobility and autonomous aircraft approach operational deployment, today’s airspace framework—designed for human-centric IFR and VFR operations—faces fundamental limits in supporting highly automated, high-density traffic.
This session introduces Automated Flight Rules (AFR) as a new operating mode for autonomous aircraft, enabling safe, predictable, and scalable operations through digital coordination and automation. Attendees will explore how AFR supports strategic, pre-tactical, and tactical conflict management, allowing automated systems to manage separation and traffic flows at scale.
The session also examines how AFR serves as a bridge between today’s IFR/VFR environment and a future digital, cooperative airspace, enabling crewed and uncrewed aircraft to safely coexist during the transition to automated operations.

Subject areas

Seamless Skies for All

11:00am

11:25am

Agentic Airspace: From Predictive Tools to Autonomous Negotiation

Viasat Theatre

Akbar Sultan Lisa Gardner Parimal Kopardekar

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Abstract:
Over the past decade, artificial intelligence in aviation has been deployed primarily as advisory capability, improving trajectory prediction, anomaly detection, and decision support for human operators. The next decade requires a more fundamental transition: from AI that advises humans to AI that acts as an operational participant. In the future NAS, tool-centric applications will evolve into system-level AI, in which multiple intelligent services coordinate to manage complex operations across ATM, UTM, AAM, and ETM domains. Autonomous digital agents will negotiate airspace access, reconcile conflicting objectives, and coordinate traffic flows, frequently at speeds beyond direct human control.
Discussion will address:
• Autonomous negotiation among aircraft and airspace services
Multi-agent systems supporting separation management, dynamic sequencing, and cross-domain prioritization.
• Global data reconciliation and common APIs
How heterogeneous systems such as ATC decision support tools, airline operations systems, UTM service providers, and weather services share state information through standardized semantics while preventing new failure modes.
• Persistent digital twin operations
Continuous, high-fidelity digital representations of the NAS used for prediction, safety monitoring, what-if analysis, autonomous negotiation, and recovery planning.
• Continuous safety assurance and learning systems
AI that does not just perform a function but continuously evaluates its own performance, detects drift, and adapts within certified bounds.
• Handling off-nominal and degraded operations
How system-level AI responds to unexpected conditions such as:
− rapidly evolving convective weather
− GNSS interference or denial
− demand surges and metering constraints
− mixed-equipage environments and partial automation failure.
Panelists will examine architectures that support resilient, adaptive autonomous behavior while preserving operator authority, traceability, and auditability. The session will explicitly address where full autonomy is appropriate, where human-on-the-loop oversight remains essential, and how decision authority transitions during contingency operations.
Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how AI functions not merely as a system add-on, but as an organizing principle for the future NAS, one that enables the system to maintain safety, capacity, and efficiency during both normal operations and major disruptions, at national and global scales.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

11:00am

11:25am

Digitalisation as key element in SESAR ATM modernisation

Boeing Theatre

Franck Montoya

Event info

Seamless Skies for All, Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

Digitalisation is rapidly reshaping Europe’s air traffic management landscape, and SESAR deployment is driving this evolution with concrete, operationally relevant improvements. At the heart of this transformation lies ATM Functionality 5 – System Wide Information Management (SWIM), a cornerstone capability enabling seamless, standardised and real-time information exchange across the network.
In this session, the SESAR Deployment Manager will explore how digitalisation—powered by SWIM’s data-centric approach—is unlocking new levels of interoperability, situational awareness and collaborative decision-making. By enabling actors to access and share trusted information in a harmonised way, SWIM accelerates the shift toward smarter operations, more predictable trajectories and a more resilient and sustainable network.
Designed to trigger interest and open the door for deeper exchanges at Airspace World 2026, this session highlights why digitalization is a key enabler of Europe’s ATM modernisation journey.

Subject areas

Seamless Skies for All

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

11:00am

11:25am

FF-ICE: Are you ready for 2034 ?

Frequentis Theatre

Edson Fagundes Gomes

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

This presentation aims to give the audience an overview of FF-ICE in solid terms, intending to show, step-by-step, how ANSPs, airlines, and airports can collaborate among themselves towards the transition to FF-ICE. In this sense, this presentation will show how Atech – Embraer Group – is supporting ANSP, airlines, and airport operators in preparations for this transition

As a use case, this demonstration will be based on a system developed by Atech – an Integrated Flight Plan and Flow Management System – based on the requirements established by DECEA (Department of Airspace Control) – the Brazilian ANSP – and in live operation since 2024. This system is ready for transition to FF-ICE, starting with FF-ICE/R1, and having provision for SWIM integration, an enabler for the FF-ICE transition.

Like any worldwide ANSP, DECEA faces the challenge of providing better services to the aviation community without sacrificing the most valuable keyword in aviation: safety. Thus, this presentation will show how the collaboration among industry, ANSPs, airports, and airlines aims to produce outstanding outcomes while transitioning towards FF-ICE and complying with ICAO regulations.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

11:00am

11:25am

How to integrate eVTOLs at Munich Airport

Wing Theatre

Timothy Aldrich

Event info

Seamless Skies for All

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is more than just a buzzword. Instead, UAM will redefine how people and goods move through increasingly congested urban airspaces, marking a pivotal shift in the evolution of aviation. Enabled by rapid advances in electric propulsion and novel aircraft configurations, UAM promises to extend the benefits of air transportation beyond traditional airports and routes. This will bring faster, flexible and sustainable flight closer to where people live and work. What was once considered a visionary concept is now transitioning into operational reality.
As this new ecosystem takes shape, the integration of manned air shuttle operations emerges as a critical bridge between today’s conventional aviation framework and tomorrow’s highly automated air mobility networks. However, integrating air shuttles into already highly congested and restricted airspaces will require a holistic approach with all stakeholders including a thorough planning process with the ANSP, regulator and local stakeholders.
DFS Aviation Services was tasked by Munich Airport International and as part of the Air Mobility Initiative to develop procedures that would allow for the integration of eVTOLs at Munich International Airport for a pre-defined vertiport. This talk will provide firsthand insights into integrating eVTOL and air shuttle traffic into a busy airport environment. We will provide an overview of the project’s approach as well as the methodology used to integrate eVTOL operations at bespoke airport, illustrating key considerations and best practices.
We will explore the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) framework for VFR and IFR procedures, highlight the role of safety assessments and showcase how real-time simulations can support the validation of operational concepts. This session will offer a clear, implementation-oriented perspective on:

the operational benefits of Urban Air Mobility,
structuring an integration approach for eVTOL traffic in complex airspace, and
the importance of strong partnerships and networks in delivering a comprehensive, future-ready solution.

Subject areas

Seamless Skies for All

11:30am

11:55am

E-conspicuity: Supporting a safe, integrated airspace with BVLOS operations at scale

Wing Theatre

Emanuele Lubrano Jonathan Axford Nancy Graham Praveen Raju Rebecca Guy

Event info

For beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations to scale, digital, visual awareness must support the ecosystem. Electronic conspicuity is the primary enabler of this transition that allows uncrewed systems to integrate with crewed aviation in non-segregated airspace. However, achieving universal visibility remains a complex challenge currently undergoing evaluation through consultations and rule making across regions.
This panel brings together a high-level cross-section of the aviation community— regulators, air navigation service providers, and industry leaders – for the next steps on e-conspicuity implementation.

Subject areas

11:30am

11:55am

A digital platform for scalable, secure and future ready air traffic management

Boeing Theatre

José Ruiz Cristina

Event info

As air traffic management grows more complex, ANSPs are challenged by rising traffic, tighter regulations, and increasingly fragmented IT landscapes.

This presentation introduces Indra’s Linkia Digital Platform, a digital service model aligned with the Digital European Sky vision. Acting as a standardized software layer between ATM applications and the underlying infrastructure, the digital platform replaces siloed deployments with shared services for deployment, integration, security, and operations.

Purpose built for ATM, the platform enables faster innovation, stronger cybersecurity, and a scalable foundation for future airspace operations.

Subject areas

11:30am

11:55am

Cutting the ATM systems in pieces – accelerating innovation to enable capacity growth

Frequentis Theatre

Jindrich Slavik Morris Milekovic Ruben Flohr Thomas Mehofer

Event info

ATM is reaching an architectural turning point.

The challenge is no longer only about adding more features – it is enabling systems to evolve fast enough to support future traffic growth, new operational concepts, and continuous innovation in a way that is flexible, scalable and resilient.

The answer emerging across the industry is the Service Delivery Model (SDM): a shift from monolithic ATM systems toward decoupled, cloud-native, interoperable services.
In this joint session, SESAR, DFS, and Frequentis will share the strategic vision, operational drivers, and real implementation approach behind this transformation:

• SESAR (Ruben): Why SDM is becoming a cornerstone of the future ATM architecture
• DFS (Morris): Why ANSPs need a fundamentally new approach to scalability and system evolution
• Frequentis (Thomas): How service-oriented, cloud-native ATM systems are already becoming reality

Followed by a live discussion moderated by Jindrich.

This is more than a technology discussion.

It is about redefining how ATM systems will be built, operated, and evolved in the decades ahead.

Subject areas

11:30am

11:55am

Uncork the Bottleneck: Elevate ATC Training from Subjective Art to Data-Driven Science

Integra Theatre

Dale Drake Maggie MacGregor

Event info

People, Skills & Next-Gen

The global air traffic control industry is at a crossroads, facing an international controller shortage perpetuated by a dependency on a manual 1-to-1 training model. For decades, simulation training has been anchored in legacy methods and technology that require constant, over-the-shoulder supervision and subjective memory. This high-touch, low-yield model is no longer viable in an era requiring rapid, standardized workforce expansion. As this constraint begins to impact global aviation safety, it is clear we must move beyond manual observation toward a more objective, technology driven training pipeline. We can’t solve today’s problems with yesterday’s approach.

In this session, Dale Drake, Vice President of Business Development at UFA, Inc. and former U.S. Air Force Chief of ATC Operations, Procedures and Training, explores how the industry can break the 1-to-1 barrier and accelerate production. Drawing on his experience managing over 100 facilities and 4,500 personnel globally, Drake introduces a paradigm shift: turning the simulation environment into a connected source of data-evidenced training rather than a series of “one-off” subjectively-assessed events.

He will introduce new force multiplier concepts and technology, including high-fidelity voice recognition analytics with automated scoring that provides students with objective / data-evidenced feedback after every run. He will also discuss how data analytics form a critical foundation for Competency-Based Training and Assessment. Finally, he will outline how new technology and methodology can empower students to practice independently, freeing master instructors to focus on high-value coaching rather than routine monitoring.

Attendees will learn how transitioning from subjective assessment to a data-aware “learner-centric” model will revolutionize training throughput.

Key Takeaways:
• How to Break the Bottleneck: Strategies to move beyond the traditional 1-to-1 instructor ratio to increase student throughput in the face of an instructor shortage crisis
• The Power of Objective Data: How automated tracking of simulated aircraft state data and voice communications eliminates instructor variability while enhancing safety
• Systemic Optimization: Using aggregated trend data to diagnose and fix systemic performance gaps in training curricula to close the feedback loop more quickly and efficiently

Join us to discover how to make ATC training as effective, data-driven, and resilient as the future aviation system it supports.

Subject areas

People, Skills & Next-Gen

11:30am

11:55am

From Concept to Clearance: Flight-Centric ATC Pre-Deployment Summary

Viasat Theatre

Mara Weber Verdiana Bottino

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

This 25-minute session presents a concise, forward-looking overview of the Flight Centric Air Traffic Control (ATC) concept as it approaches deployment readiness. Aimed at Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) and policy makers, the session distills years of research into clear, actionable insights relevant to both operational planning and regulatory decision-making.

Delivered by two researchers directly involved in the concept’s development, the presentation is structured in two complementary parts. The first speaker introduces the Flight Centric ATC paradigm, outlining its foundational principles, intended operational benefits, and how it differs from traditional sector-based approaches. Emphasis is placed on the motivations behind the concept and its alignment with future airspace and traffic management needs.

The second speaker focuses on the pre-deployment perspective, summarizing validation activities, key findings from simulations and the current maturity of the concept. This segment highlights implications for ANSP operations and policy frameworks, including readiness considerations, integration challenges, and next steps toward operations.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

12:00pm

12:50pm

The Iris Programme: From operational proof to a TBO roadmap in a scalable, connected sky.

Viasat Theatre

Davide Tomassini Ghislain Nicolle Greg Saccone Pascal Rohault Pierre Lahourcade Thierry Harquin Véronique Travers Sutter

Event info

As Europe advances toward digitalised, data-driven air traffic management, the ESA
Iris programme is entering a critical new phase. Building on several years of successful operational performance, the programme is now expanding into Iris Global – a worldwide interoperable datalink service based on the proven L-band SB-S satellite network and full aligned with ICAO ATN/IPS standards.

Iris Global is designed to support the evolution of TBO Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO) including mandated Extended Projected Profile (EPP) and future i4D trajectory negotiation. This positions the programme to enable progressively more advanced TBO functions such as ATN/IPS and FF-ICE v2 become adopted by ANSPs. This evolution strengthens the foundations for modern ATM by enabling predictable, efficient information exchange across regions, platforms and operational environments. While the programme incorporates multilink capabilities as part of its roadmap, the core version of Iris Global is the delivery of a harmonised, scalable, safety-critical datalink service accessible worldwide.

The session will begin with brief programme update outlining the operational status of Iris today, it’s pathway to Iris Global and the key enhancements supporting global interoperability and adoption. Following this, Viasat will host a panel featuring ESA, Viasat and (TBC) exploring how Iris Global fits into the future landscape of aviation communication. The discussion will examine global regulatory alignment, the transition to ATN/IPC-based services and how Iris Global will enable safer, smarter and more efficient airspace operations for crewed and uncrewed airspace.

A key strategic element is Boeing’s transition to ATN/IPS across its global fleet which represents approximately 50% of worldwide commercial flights. This is expected to accelerate Iris Global adoption and ensure early large-scale operational impact.

By enabling more predictable trajectories, Iris Global also supports the TBO-driven reductions in fuel burn, CO2 emissions and delays that align strongly with Europe’s operational and environmental priorities

Subject areas

12:00pm

12:25pm

From Critical Corridor to Competitive Advantage: How Kazakhstan is turning strategic airspace into a model for modern ATM

Frequentis Theatre

Faat Bogdashkin Kenneth Folger

Event info

Kazaeronavigatsia, with support from Leidos and other industry partners, is advancing a national transformation in air traffic management to meet rapidly accelerating demand, with Kazakhstan’s annual passenger traffic projected to reach 26 million by 2030, its civil aircraft fleet expected to more than double, and 81 new international destinations planned. Join Leidos’ SkyLine Portfolio Manager Kenneth Folger alongside Kazaeronavigatsia Director General Faat Bogdashkin as they discuss how trusted collaboration is delivering a common, open, and resilient automation platform designed to enhance safety, operational efficiency, and scalability across one of the world’s most critical airspaces. Attendees from ANSPs, ATM companies, OEMs, and across the aviation ecosystem will gain insight into how aligning technology, strategy, and partnership can enable successful, future ready airspace modernization.

Subject areas

12:00pm

12:50pm

The role of the ATM sector in the strategic outlook of the European Aviation

Boeing Theatre

Christophe Vivier Filip Cornelis Francesco Gaetani Ourania Georgoutsakou Tânia Cardoso Simões Youzec Kurp

Event info

The European aviation sector is currently undergoing significant self-reflection. Commissioner for Transport and Tourism, Mr. Apóstolos Tzitzikóstas, has called for strategic reflection at the European level, encompassing the entire aviation sector, including Air Traffic Management (ATM). This panel will take a helicopter view of the challenges ATM faces in its transformation process, focusing on the implementation of SES2+, modernization, human dimension challenges, and ATM stakeholders’ priorities for the upcoming EU policy period.

Subject areas

12:00pm

12:50pm

Civil-Military Integration to Ensure Safe and Efficient Airspace

Integra Theatre

Adrian Codi Costantino La Selva Inga Jankunaite Juan Angel Treceño Łukasz Godlewski Mateusz Zelek

Event info

Defence & Military

As airspace demand grows and operational complexity increases, civil-military coordination has become a critical enabler of safety, efficiency, and flexibility. Dynamic Airspace Configuration (DAC) offers a promising approach to optimize airspace usage in real time, balancing civil and military needs without compromising operational integrity.
This panel will explore how modern tools and collaborative frameworks can transform civil-military integration, drawing on lessons from SESAR projects such as MITRANO and HARMONIC. These initiatives aim to deliver advanced solutions for dynamic airspace management, enabling stakeholders to respond to evolving traffic patterns and mission requirements with agility and precision.
Key discussion angles include:
• Dynamic Airspace Configuration in practice: How DAC can improve capacity and resilience while maintaining safety.
• Civil-military collaboration models: What works, what doesn’t, and how to foster trust and transparency.
• Technological enablers: Insights from SESAR MITRANO and HARMONIC on tools and processes that support real-time decision-making.
• Operational and cultural challenges: How to align priorities across civil and military stakeholders in diverse regulatory environments.

The goal is to share experiences, identify best practices, and explore how innovation can help us achieve a truly integrated airspace that meets the needs of all users.

Subject areas

Defence & Military

12:00pm

12:25pm

Deployment of U-space in Spain in 2026

Wing Theatre

Daniel García-Monteavaro Vizcaíno Enrique Iglesias Martínez Mariña Álvarez Borrageiros

Event info

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM, Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies, Drones & UTM

Featuring key representatives from DGAC, AESA, and ENAIRE, the panel provides a comprehensive analysis of the institutional cooperation required to harmonize manned and unmanned traffic. Participants will gain firsthand insights into Spain’s transition from strategic framework to the real-world deployment of U-space.
This panel examines the new National Action Plan for U-space and Geozones Deployment (PANDU+) led by DGAC, outlining the strategic roadmap for safe UAS integration and scaling operations. The discussion focuses on the critical regulatory and technical challenges of certifying Common Information Service Providers (CISP) and U-space Service Providers (USSP) under AESA’s oversight. Furthermore, the session explores ENAIRE’s operational milestones in implementing Spain’s inaugural U-space volume.

Subject areas

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

Drones & UTM

12:30pm

12:55pm

U-space Rulemaking 2026: Closing the Implementation Gap

Wing Theatre

Neeraj Bansal Patricia Garcia Pastor Reinaldo Negron Stéphane Vaubourg

Event info

As the European Union moves toward the next critical phase of U-space considerations and implementation, alignment between the regulatory framework and the evolving market and ecosystem remains essential. Urgency is heightened by cost considerations, geopolitical dynamics, and the pace of developments in other regions.

This panel will bring together GUTMA Members alongside representatives from EASA to explore the upcoming updates to the Acceptable Means of Compliance and Guidance Material (AMC/GM) scheduled for 2026.

The discussion will focus on current perspectives from both regulators and industry, highlighting key challenges and considerations to ensure that the operational realities of UTM service provision and drone operations are effectively reflected in the evolving regulatory framework.

Subject areas

12:30pm

12:55pm

From Concept to Operations: ENAIRE’s TTM Operational Deployment as a Success Story

Frequentis Theatre

Francisco Martínez Rico Juan Francisco Moya Serrano

Event info

Tactical Trajectory Management (TTM) is a cornerstone of the modern Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems, translating strategic concepts into tangible operational benefits.

This presentation shares ENAIRE’s journey from concept to operations, outlining the successful deployment of the TTM system into live operations as a real-world case study.
The talk will describe the key processes followed by ENAIRE, from initial conception and system design through validation, transition, and entry into service.

It will highlight how operational needs, technical maturity and stakeholder collaboration were aligned to ensure that TTM was not only delivered but effectively adopted by controllers and seamlessly integrated into existing ATM systems and procedures.
Particular attention will be paid to change management, human factors and incremental deployment strategies that enabled a smooth operational transition.
Key challenges encountered during the deployment will be discussed, together with the solutions applied and lessons learned, focusing on data quality, operational robustness, and performance monitoring.

The presentation will also outline the tangible benefits observed after entry into service, including improved predictability, enhanced situational awareness.
By sharing practical experience and outcomes, this session aims to demonstrate how TTM can move beyond concept and trials to become a operational capability. ENAIRE’s experience offers valuable insights for ANSPs, industry and regulators seeking to turn trajectory-based concepts into operational reality and measurable success.

Subject areas

1:00pm

1:50pm

CANSO LAC: Airspace modernisation in Latin America and the Caribbean – A Regional Path Forward

Boeing Theatre

Crystal Oseana-Rodriguez Deano Ledford Hector Lee Lieutenant General Jorge Mauricio Motta

Event info

Airspace modernization in Latin America and the Caribbean is reaching a pivotal point. Increasing traffic, space operations, contingency events and diverse technological capabilities are reshaping operational needs nationwide. This high-level panel includes four Air Navigation Service Providers from the region and focuses on building a future-proof airspace infrastructure.

The discussion explores the strategic priorities for the coming decade: implementation of Free Route Airspace, CNS modernisation, digital information exchange, ATFM development, and the integration of drones, VTOLs, and space launches. Panelists will address the ongoing challenge of maturity gaps among ANSPs and the necessity for coordinated investment in personnel, technology, and procedures.

Participants will gain a clear understanding of how leading ANSPs are approaching modernisation, what lessons can be scaled across the region, and how Latin America and the Caribbean are integrating and collaborating for efficient and innovative airspace management.

Subject areas

1:00pm

1:50pm

CANSO Operations: From Complexity to Integration: Operationalizing Space Transport Operations in Shared Airspace

Frequentis Theatre

Dragos Tonea Giovanni Di Antonio Kiko Dontchev Lakisha Price Tania Helena Vanessa Robertson

Event info

Space Transportation Operations are no longer an emerging concept; they are an operational reality. With increasing launch and re-entry frequency, expanding spaceport networks, and the introduction of reusable and suborbital systems, space activities are placing sustained and dynamic demands on the global airspace system.
The challenge is no longer if integration will occur, but how to operationalize it safely, efficiently, and at scale.
This panel will move beyond high-level discussion to focus on real-world operational implementation, examining how ANSPs, regulators, operators, and military stakeholders are actively managing space activities today and what must evolve next. It will showcase practical operational experiences and emerging best practices, while exploring how improved data sharing, coordination mechanisms, and digital tools are reducing uncertainty and minimizing airspace impact.
The discussion will highlight the transition from reactive airspace closures toward more predictive, collaborative, and performance-based operations, strengthening collaboration across all stakeholders. It will also identify gaps requiring global harmonization and cross-border coordination, while providing ANSPs and regulators with actionable insights to support the effective and scalable integration of space transportation operations.

Subject areas

1:00pm

1:50pm

Resilient Skies: Securing the resilience of the pan-European network against emerging threats

Viasat Theatre

Christophe Vivier Cyrille Rosay Elisabeth Landrichter Karsten Stoye Rafal Marczewski Véronique Travers Sutter

Event info

Modern aviation relies on a highly interconnected infrastructure that faces increasing threats, including GNSS interference—addressed through a joint action plan by EUROCONTROL and EASA—as well as cyberattacks, physical disruptions (such as drones and balloons), and geopolitical tensions. The EU’s Military Mobility package introduces a new opportunity: ensuring that dual-use infrastructure can support both civilian and military needs without compromising safety and efficiency. This panel will examine the work to enhance Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) infrastructure resilience through technical cooperation and strengthened civil–military collaboration to optimise the shared use of airspace in response to modern pressures—such as geopolitical conflicts and training needs—ensuring both civilian efficiency and military readiness.

Subject areas

1:00pm

1:50pm

A new era of surveillance - how the U.S. is modernizing its ATM infrastructure

Integra Theatre

Chris DeSenti Franklin McIntosh Javier Alejandro Vanegas Olga Abad Steve Robinson

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

The US is embarking on one of the most significant air traffic surveillance modernization programs ever seen. Under a newly awarded contract, RTX and Indra will replace more than 600 ground-based radars with modern, high performance surveillance systems by 2028. This nationwide renewal aims to strengthen safety, improve operational efficiency, and simplify system maintenance by consolidating the many radar configurations currently in use.

The award supports the FAA’s broader Brand-New Air Traffic Control System (BNATCS) initiative to modernize the National Airspace System (NAS), replacing aging infrastructure with modern, resilient, and cyber-secure technology.

This panel will explore how this substantial investment is reshaping the country’s surveillance infrastructure, how such a largescale project is handled from a manufacturer point-of-view, and what it means for the future of air traffic management.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

1:00pm

1:25pm

EURIALO: Resilient ATM Surveillance from Space

Wing Theatre

Alvaro Morillo

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

The EURIALO project, supported by the European Space Agency (ESA), is advancing a new space-based surveillance layer designed to strengthen the resilience and continuity of Air Traffic Management (ATM). Building on its introduction at previous editions of Airspace World, this presentation focuses on EURIALO’s progress toward operational maturity and its role in complementing existing terrestrial surveillance infrastructures.
By leveraging a micro-satellite constellation and advanced multilateration (MLAT) techniques, EURIALO enhances global surveillance coverage, including in remote or interference-prone environments. Fully aligned with SESAR priorities and the European ATM Master Plan, and covered by CNS evolution MP, the project delivers tangible benefits in safety, operational performance, and sustainability. Developed by a consortium including Spire, Thales, ESSP, and ENAV, EURIALO is currently in its In-Orbit Demonstration phase, marking a key milestone on the path to operational space-based surveillance services.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

1:30pm

2:20pm

Towards an ambitious EU Drone Strategy: Clearing the path to real operations

Wing Theatre

Andres Van Swalm Christina Suomi Enrique Ventas García Filip Cornelis Munish Khurana

Event info

Policy, Regulation & Governance, Defence & Military, Drones & UTM

In 2022, the EU Drone Strategy 2.0 set out the EU’s vision for integrating drones into Europe’s airspace and economy by 2030. Nearly halfway to that horizon, Europe’s lower skies remain largely empty, and drone operations are still far from being part of citizens’ everyday lives. What we do see, however, are drone incursions over airports and other critical infrastructure – disrupting travel, harming businesses, and raising serious security concerns.

Against this backdrop, and in light of the forthcoming review of the EU Drone Strategy, this session will examine where the strategy has delivered and where it needs rethinking; where implementation is gaining traction and where progress must accelerate; what the European Commission is planning next; and what both industry and society expect from an ambitious Drone Strategy.

Subject areas

Policy, Regulation & Governance

Defence & Military

Drones & UTM

2:00pm

2:25pm

Advancing Resilience through Deployable Digital Tower Solutions

Frequentis Theatre

Brian R. Bruckbauer

Event info

In an environment shaped by crises, geopolitical tensions, and natural disasters, ensuring continuity and resilience in air traffic management has become a central priority. This presentation explores the transformative potential of Deployable Digital Tower systems, which provide a scalable, high-fidelity alternative to traditional mobile ATC towers.
Brian will utilize his expertise in both military and civil air traffic operations to examine how a Deployable Digital Tower solution can aid in both contingency operations for high-traffic civil airports and in protecting the controllers in the expeditionary theater. He will explain how combining high resolution camera views and real-time information helps controllers see more clearly and work more efficiently than with traditional ATC systems.

Key topics include:

• Digital Advantage: Real-world lessons from traditional mobile air traffic control systems, highlighting operational constraints and deployment challenges —paired with a compelling story that illustrates how Deployable Digital Tower systems overcome these limitations today.
• Operational Agility & Rapid Deployability: How compact, and mobile digital tower solutions allow both high capacity and rapid deployment — whether supporting infrastructure upgrades, temporary operations, or emergency response scenarios.
• Situational Awareness & Safety: The benefits of improved visibility and integrated surveillance (including aircraft and UAS data), delivering a more complete and accurate airfield and airspace picture
• Case Studies & Deployments: An analysis of recent deployments by ANSPs and military personnel, highlighting improvements in installation, redundancy, and operational efficiency.

Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of the technical capabilities, strategic advantages, and operational safeguards necessary to successfully integrate deployable digital technology into ATC today.

Subject areas

2:00pm

2:25pm

Accelerate TBO Implementation for Operational Benefits Now

Boeing Theatre

Sherry Yang

Event info

Subject areas

2:00pm

2:50pm

CANSO Safety: Working Together to Create a Collaborative Culture for Safe and Resilient Integrated Airspace

Integra Theatre

Andrea Sack Jia Xu Mário Chaves Peter Merz Rita Somogyi Victor Tan

Event info

As airspace becomes more complex, with drones, UTM, and defence operations sharing the skies, air traffic management needs to move from reacting to problems to proactively and strategically planning ahead. Instead of constantly managing routine complexity, controllers and pilots should be able to focus mainly on unusual or unexpected situations.

This panel at Airspace World in Lisbon will explore how better collaboration and innovative thinking can improve the way people, systems, and organizations work together. Experts from civil aviation, defence, and unmanned aviation will discuss how integration of different airspace users can be optimised, and which policies and governance are required to maintain safety, security, and resilience.
The session will highlight the cultural, technological, and regulatory changes needed to ensure airspace operations remain efficient, predictable, and safe in the future.

Subject areas

2:00pm

2:50pm

Navigating Europe’s air traffic: the current air traffic situation, operational challenges and how Europe can optimise existing capacity

Viasat Theatre

Ferenc Turi Giovanni Russo Iacopo Prissinotti Ourania Georgoutsakou Peggy Devestel

Event info

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies, Seamless Skies for All

Europe’s air traffic network is under increasing pressure as demand for airspace capacity continues to grow and operational complexity rises. In this panel discussion participants will share their perspectives on the current air traffic situation and its challenges, how to optimise operations, manage capacity, and create efficiencies while ensuring safe air traffic operations – especially in light of peak traffic for Summer 2026. The discussion will also explore how efficient air traffic control resources, cross-border design solutions, air-ground integration, open digital infrastructure, and seamless airspace organisation can help optimise existing capacity while preparing for future traffic growth.

Moderated by Iacopo Prissinotti, Director Network Management at EUROCONTROL, the discussion will feature insights from Peggy Devestel, Director of the EUROCONTROL Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC) and from panellists representing air navigation service providers (ANSP), aircraft operators and airports.

Subject areas

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

Seamless Skies for All

2:30pm

2:55pm

AAM is Taking off – Real operations and deployments

Wing Theatre

Antonio Mota Sandoval Jose I Rodriguez Munish Khurana Rob Weaver

Event info

Drones & UTM

The moderator will provide an overview of the AAM ecosystem and state of the art. The speakers will outline the progresses achieved in Advanced Air Mobility in the fields of eVTOLs, Vertiports and operators. Eve will outline the last milestones for Vector UATM and Eve eVTOL flight trials. Aerosolutions will provide the operator/airline angle with a example of previewed routes for Costa Rica Pacific coast. Bluenest will explain the last vertiport control trials for medical services in Balearic and Canary Islands and the interest to deploy a vertiport network in Costa Rica.

Subject areas

Drones & UTM

2:30pm

3:20pm

CANSO APAC: How digital technology can enhance regional collaboration

Frequentis Theatre

Andrian Nazaroi Blair Cowles Brett Fujisaki Ngo The Vinh Poh Theen Soh Zainal Arifin

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Digitalisation has already transformed many sectors, improving efficiency, connectivity, and decision-making. In air traffic management, similar benefits are increasingly within reach—but only if digital technologies and collaboration evolve together. Rather than being separate enablers, digitalisation and collaboration are mutually reinforcing: digital platforms can make collaboration easier, faster, and more scalable, while effective collaboration helps unlock the full value of digital solutions.
This panel will explore how digital technology can actively support regional collaboration in the Asia-Pacific region. It will begin with an overview of the Regional Collaboration Platform developed by AIR Lab—an open, cloud-based sandbox with built-in tools and representative data that enables multiple stakeholders to test new operational concepts and scenarios in a collaborative environment.
Building on this example, APAC ANSPs will share how they are using the platform in practice, lessons learned so far, and potential new use cases. The discussion will then broaden to examine what other digital tools, platforms, or approaches could further enhance collaboration across the region, and how such initiatives can support more integrated, resilient, and future-ready ATM operations.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

2:30pm

2:55pm

Data-driven ATC selection and simulation: Airways' formula for ATC training excellence

Boeing Theatre

James Evans Kelly de Lambert

Event info

People, Skills & Next-Gen

Airways New Zealand has sustained an average ATC training success rate of around 95% over the past 12 years – nearly double the industry norm – through a systematic combination of data-driven selection, world-class competency-based training, and advanced simulation technologies. In this session, we will reveal how Airways International’s proven methodology is helping ANSPs worldwide to transform their training outcomes.
While air traffic controller shortages intensify globally and training failure rates commonly reach 50% in many regions, the cost of getting selection and training wrong has never been higher. Candidates invest months before discovering they won’t succeed, and ANSPs lose substantial resources without filling critical positions.
Airways International, the ANSP’s commercial arm has developed this world-leading approach to transform ATC training outcomes – an approach grounded in organisational psychology, 30 years of training experience and innovative use of technology.
Through rigorous and proven selection tools used by ANSPs and over 50,000 candidates worldwide, highly realistic simulation environments, and globally recognised ATC training with world-class instructors – Airways International has developed a replicable model that significantly reduces training failures.
This session explores the key elements of Airways’ selection and training strategy, shares practical insights from implementation with ANSPs globally, and demonstrates how evidence-based approaches can deliver measurable improvements in training success rates while reducing time and cost.

Subject areas

People, Skills & Next-Gen

3:00pm

3:50pm

CANSO Tomorrow's Voices: Building the Talent and Innovation Ecosystem Aviation Needs

Integra Theatre

Angy Odysseos Benjamin Fichtner Grzegorz Knast Marina Morić Michael McCormick Patricia Lopez de Frutos Sabína Dobiašová

Event info

People, Skills & Next-Gen

The future of aviation depends not only on technology, but on people. This panel explores how organisations across the ecosystem are addressing talent attraction, retention, and skills development while creating space for startups and new entrants to grow.

Through real-world examples, speakers will share initiatives that are delivering results today — offering practical insights the audience can adapt to their own organisations.

Subject areas

People, Skills & Next-Gen

3:00pm

3:50pm

EU’s roadmap towards the new service delivery model

Viasat Theatre

Alain Siebert Andreas Boschen Athanassios Tziolas Erki Must Friedrich-Wilhelm Menge Victor M. Martinez Garcia

Event info

As Europe accelerates towards a new, more agile ATM service delivery model, the SESAR JU and EASA are working hand-in-hand to reshape how essential ATM services will be built, certified, governed, and deployed in the decade ahead. This panel will explore the joint roadmap towards a cloud-enabled, modular and interoperable service ecosystem—one that promises faster deployment, seamless cross-border operations, and continuous innovation while upholding the highest levels of safety and oversight. Bringing together key operational, industrial, and regulatory voices, the session will examine what it will take to make this transition a reality, the opportunities it creates for both established and emerging players, and how Europe can build a resilient, sustainable and digitally-driven ATM system fit for the future.

Subject areas

3:00pm

3:25pm

The resiliency gamble

Wing Theatre

Mark Green

Event info

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) aim to deliver sufficient capacity for airline customers and airspace users. But, as demand increases and system flexibility decreases, even minor disruptions risk escalating across the network. It’s clear that building resilience alongside capacity is essential to contain issues and ensure safe recovery, which raises the question: are current investments in resilience and continuity adequate?

ANSPs evaluate the risks, costs, and advantages differently, striving to strike a balance between investing in business continuity and addressing other organisational priorities. However, the costs of disruption can extend beyond individual service providers, impacting on their stakeholders and the flying public, and therefore the potential benefits of investment in business continuity improvements can be under-represented.

This presentation focuses on how ANSPs can deliver a resilient service and enhance their business continuity provision. Should they take the gamble that their systems won’t fail, or invest in their business continuity capability?

Why this session is important
• Resilience is a strategic imperative: disruptions in ATM and airport operations can have severe economic and social consequences
• Major disruptions occur more frequently today (weather conditions, social actions, system and software outages)
• It is relevant for all stakeholders: from global hubs influencing GDP to small airports serving isolated communities

Key takeaways for the audience
• Understand the true cost of disruption and balance risk and investment.
• Discover practical solutions: review examples of resilience strategies tailored to different airport scales and contexts.
• Explore real-world examples from major hubs and regional airfields, illustrating both the impact of disruptions and potential continuity solutions.

Subject areas

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

3:00pm

3:25pm

Remote TWR Control Center activation

Boeing Theatre

Paolo Nasetti

Event info

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM, Innovation to Enable Future Skies

The session will describe the successful activation of the remote TWR Control Center, focusing on technical aspects, expected benefits, and the remote control plan for the 26 towers included in the project.

Subject areas

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

3:30pm

3:55pm

Rethinking ATC Simulation: Why Fidelity Alone Doesn't Deliver Better Training Outcomes

Boeing Theatre

Teddy Woodhouse

Event info

People, Skills & Next-Gen

For more than three decades, ATC training has trended toward ever-higher fidelity, full-immersion simulation – often under the assumption that realism automatically delivers better learning outcomes. Research and operational evidence suggest otherwise.
This session challenges the “more fidelity equals better training” assumption and presents a practical, evidence-based approach for integrating low-fidelity part-task training into modern ATCO curricula to improve learning efficiency, skill acquisition, and operational readiness.

Drawing on learning science, operational experience, and the Proficiency Cycle training model, this presentation demonstrates how foundational cognitive, psychomotor, and procedural skills – such as scan discipline and radio telephony – are more effectively acquired and consolidated in low-pressure, repeatable environments before being assessed in high-fidelity simulators.
Attendees will explore how structured use of part-task trainers, adaptive learning tools, integrated analytics and gamification can reduce training costs, increase throughput, and improve performance in high-pressure simulation and live operations, all without compromising safety or standards.

The session offers actionable insights for ANSPs, training organisations, and regulators seeking scalable, future-ready ATC training systems.

Subject areas

People, Skills & Next-Gen

3:30pm

3:55pm

Traffic Complexity tool to Support sustainable operations

Wing Theatre

Giuseppe Di Bitonto Marcello Davide Mannino

Event info

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

The Air Traffic Complexity Support Tool provides real-time and predictive assessment of traffic complexity across airspace and airport environments. By combining surveillance data, flight trajectories, weather, and operational constraints, the tool generates dynamic complexity indicators that go beyond traffic volume alone.
These indicators support controllers, flow managers, and planners in anticipating workload, optimizing sector configurations, and enabling demand–capacity balancing strategies that reduce delays, fuel burn, and emissions. By proactively managing complexity rather than reacting to congestion, the tool enhances safety, improves operational efficiency, and contributes to more sustainable and environmentally responsible air traffic operations.

Subject areas

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

3:30pm

3:55pm

The GPS Hangover: Understanding GNSS Corruption and Carryover Effects in European Airspace

Frequentis Theatre

Matthias Schäfer

Event info

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

GNSS interference in the European airspace has increased dramatically. Reports of GPS disruption rose over 400% between 2022 and 2024, with Eastern Europe experiencing particularly sustained interference. When aircraft leave GPS spoofing zones, the interference stops, but in many cases, the navigation system doesn’t immediately recover, and residual effects can persist. We call this the “GPS Hangover,” and it’s a bigger issue than previously recognized.

Spoofing differs from jamming in a critical way: it provides false position data that appears valid and passes standard integrity checks without triggering alerts. While jamming accounts for roughly 80% of reported GNSS interference incidents, spoofing presents disproportionate operational challenges because even when crews recognize the issue, they often have few immediate options beyond turning off the impacted systems. Moreover, systems may not recover until reset on the ground.

Monitoring the situation with European ANSPs for more than 4 years, SeRo Systems has observed and documented thousands of cases where spoofed GPS leads aircraft to report ADS-B positions tens of nautical miles off for hours after leaving interference zones. In high-interference regions, extended exposure periods can corrupt the internal state of the GPS receiver of some aircraft, for example, by downloading false ephemeris data. As a result, essential parts of the avionics remain affected until the avionics components are reset on the ground.

The consequence is that interference in one location can affect operations hundreds of kilometers away. To combat this problem, EASA has called for enhanced GNSS monitoring capabilities and operator awareness programs, while ICAO recommends developing comprehensive PNT resilience strategies and implementing robust interference detection systems. Both organizations emphasize the critical need for coordinated monitoring efforts and systematic reporting mechanisms across ANSPs, operators, and regulatory bodies.

Using operational monitoring data through 2025, we’ll examine how these carryover effects manifest in the European airspace. We’ll share monitoring architectures deployed in high-interference environments that provide ANSPs with actionable operational intelligence beyond basic pilot reporting. The session also offers practical insights into what sustained GNSS interference means for European airspace and what monitoring capabilities can help ANSPs support safer operations.

Subject areas

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

4:00pm

4:30pm

Seamless Skies Awards Ceremony

Boeing Theatre

Event info

Subject areas

4:30pm

5:15pm

Awards Ceremony Drinks Reception

Boeing Theatre

Event info

Subject areas

Wed 27 May

Event

Location

Speakers

10:00am

10:25am

AI threats & EU rules: the dual challenge reshaping ATM/CNS Cybersecurity in 2026

Integra Theatre

Grégoire Lewis

Event info

In 2026, two major shifts are reshaping cybersecurity for ATM/CNS, each demanding attention, but neither easily solved:
• AI-Powered Threats: Attackers leverage automation to exploit vulnerabilities faster than ever, bypassing traditional defenses
• EU Regulations: Part-IS and the Cyber Resilience Act introduce strict compliance demands, from risk-based security to supply-chain accountability.

The old playbook – perimeter defenses and proprietary protocols – is no longer enough. So how do we adapt? In this session, Thales will look at the road ahead of ATM and CNS service providers and suppliers.

Subject areas

10:00am

10:25am

Fireside Chat: What will be AI's role in Air Traffic Management?

Frequentis Theatre

Helena Sjöström Falk Holly Apgar Sharon Pinkerton

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies, Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

As AI continues to improve, there is a large call to utilize this technology in air traffic management. In a world where many air traffic controllers feel over-worked and understaffed, it can be challenging to have a workforce that is 100% alert and focused on their task to keep the skies safe. Many argue that AI will be a tool to significantly improve, not only the ability to control the skies, but make lives of controllers much less stressful. But could the implementation of AI in air traffic decrease the need for controllers entirely? And make those who stay on the job less aware as they rely on AI to do the job for them? This fireside chat will explore the pros and cons of bringing AI into ATM as a main reliant and discuss alternative approaches.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

10:00am

10:50am

EU Funding and partnerships

Wing Theatre

Andreas Boschen Erki Must Magdalena Jaworska-Mackowiak Mariagrazia La Piscopia Olivier Silla Stefano Riverso

Event info

As the aviation and particularly the ATM industry seeks to innovate and modernize, understanding the funding landscape is crucial for fostering collaboration and progress. The discussion will cover the various funding avenues, project eligibility, and how SESAR and CINEA have played a pivotal role in supporting aviation advancements. Attendees will gain insights into the application processes, success stories, and strategies to maximize funding potential.

Subject areas

10:00am

10:50am

Scaling ATCO Training: CBTA, Data, and Instructor Judgment

Boeing Theatre

Bartosz Orłowski Grzegorz Knast Inga Jankunaite Juan Antonio Lombo Moruno Jurgen van Avermaete Katrijn De Mecheleer Paul McCann

Event info

People, Skills & Next-Gen

Across the world, many ANSPs are facing the same pressure: training and certifying enough operational ATCOs to meet demand – without compromising quality, safety, or consistency. Capacity constraints, instructor availability, varying success rates, and growing complexity in operations all make the question urgent: how do we scale training effectively, and how do we know our training systems are truly working?
We shall explore what’s changing – and what still remains stubbornly human – when we move toward Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA). We will discuss what CBTA is, why and when it is being introduced, and what it aims to solve. But more importantly, we’ll focus on the practical reality: how instructors actually evaluate trainees, how decisions are made in high-stakes environments, and how training documentation and assessment models can either support, or unintentionally distort, those decisions.
PANSA has been developing a Data-Driven Training approach and found that some long-held assumptions about assessment and instructor judgement don’t always match real training behaviour. This raised a bigger question we want to explore openly with the industry: are other training organizations seeing similar patterns, and how can we learn from one another across regions and cultures?
Key discussion angles include:
• CBTA in practice: What changes when an organization moves from traditional assessment to CBTA and what must change beyond templates and terminology?
• Culture and region specificity: Which parts of trainee development and instructor judgement are universal, and which are shaped by local context?
• Assessment design that drives quality: How should training reports / session forms be structured to capture deep, actionable instructor feedback and provide a reliable picture of trainee capability?
• From hundreds of sessions to better decisions: How can we use large volumes of training data to improve consistency, identify risks earlier, and support both trainees and instructors – especially when throughput is a strategic challenge?

Subject areas

People, Skills & Next-Gen

10:00am

10:50am

From Concept to Controlled Airspace: Enabling the First Civil HAPS Operations in Europe

Viasat Theatre

Antidio Viguria Jiménez Juan José Sola Laura Lopez Marta García Gutiérrez Rafael Pecos Macías Sergio David Díaz Martínez

Event info

Policy, Regulation & Governance

Civil High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) are rapidly evolving from experimental concepts to operational reality, challenging existing assumptions about airspace design, regulation, and safety oversight. This panel uses the first authorised civil HAPS operation in Spain, which conducts regular flights, as a case study to explore the real-world requirements for integrating platforms operating at the boundary between aviation and near-space into controlled airspace.

Led by Juanjo Sola and Rafael Pecos Macías of Murzilli Consulting, and with the participation of operational and infrastructure partners such as CATEC, Telespazio Ibérica, and the Fuerteventura Technology Park (Canarias Stratoport for HAPS & UAS), the discussion will examine regulatory strategy, airspace structuring, coordination with authorities, challenges, and lessons learned. The session will provide practical information for regulators, air navigation service providers (ANSPs), and industry stakeholders preparing for the next phase of high-altitude operations in Europe.

Subject areas

Policy, Regulation & Governance

10:30am

10:55am

Enhancing Aviation Performance and Flow Management through Generative AI and Advanced Machine Learning Frameworks

Frequentis Theatre

Christoph Czech

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

How can ANSPs benefit from the opportunities offered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) solutions today to optimize decision-making and operational efficiency in the context of performance and flow management? This question will be illustrated in the presentation with specific examples focusing on two technological clusters.

The first cluster utilizes ML regression models for precise traffic and delay forecasting across airspaces and airports. These forecasts are integrated into an AI agent-driven framework that evaluates historical data and operational constraints to recommend optimal airspace sector configurations.

The second cluster uses Large Language Models (LLMs) to bridge the gap between complex data and actionable insights: using Natural Language to SQL (NL2SQL), users can intuitively query structured performance databases, while Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) processes unstructured operational data, such as reports on specific events.

Collectively, these tools transform raw data into proactive intelligence, enabling more accurate evaluations and robust capacity planning in increasingly dynamic aviation environments.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

10:30am

10:55am

HAPS Operations at Scale: Defining the Roadmap for Cross-Border Cooperative Separation

Integra Theatre

Andy Thurling Nancy Graham

Event info

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM, Drones & UTM, Innovation to Enable Future Skies

CANSO Complete Air Traffic System (CATS) published a vision for the seamless integration of all airspace users, highly-automated and digital aviation systems, and new operational management frameworks. Specifically for HAO, the CATS described the framework and “digital infrastructure” envisioned for supporting a globally harmonized, cross-border, integrated traffic management concept enabling safe, secure, efficient, and seamless integration.

This paper builds on and advances the CANSO CATS vision by presenting a roadmap for safely integrating automated High Altitude Platform System (HAPS) fleet operations into higher airspace and across national borders. The roadmap outlines a progressive approach, focusing on the safe testing, validation, and implementation of new digital Cooperative Separation concepts and new operational frameworks that are necessary to manage highly-automated fleet systems. A key element of this plan is a near-term international trial designed to promote harmonization between regions and provide early real-world validation.

The paper leverages the foundational work accomplished across government and industry over the past several years, including:
● European CONOPs for Higher Airspace Operations (ECHO 1 and 2 SESAR JU funded research)
● FAA’s ETM CONOPs V1.0 and upcoming V2.0 version
● AIA’s 2022 “Collaborative Traffic Management for the Stratosphere”
● HAPS Alliance’s 2025 vision for “Cooperative, Seamless, and Global Digital Skies”
● Flight Safety Foundation’s 2025 paper “New Words For a New Era in Aviation”

We intend to detail the path toward the harmonization of collaborative traffic management concepts and associated flight rules, with particular focus on the mechanisms of a cross-border federated environment.

To achieve scale in Higher Airspace Operations (HAO), this paper details four critical, interlocking operational steps:

Path to Harmonize Key Concepts for Cooperative Traffic Management and Airspace Integration across regions. The roadmap will advance the global harmonization of key constructs and principles that enables the seamless integration across distinct air traffic management environments. In particular, it will advance the “Cooperative Zone” (CZ) construct introduced in the CATS vision. This mechanism supports dynamic airspace allocation and enables the deployment of a focused, limited-charging model for safety-critical services, aligning with the CATS goal for Integrated Airspace.
Establishing Cooperative Governance: The roadmap will define the necessary Cooperative Operating Principles and Practices (COPPs) and governance agreements required between stakeholders to address the ICAO-highlighted challenges of financial responsibility, liability, and international recognition of approvals. This framework is the regulatory foundation for a federated environment.
Architecting Resiliency, Security and Automation: We will propose the technical high-level requirements for a cross-border federated digital architecture, including discovery and synchronization protocols. This architecture will ensure the resiliency, integrity, security and sovereignty that are essential in a machine-centric digital ecosystem. The international trial will validate the safety of Attended Autonomous Fleet System Management, advancing the CATS goal of Improved Performance through Automation by demonstrating a secure, system supervision-based approach.
Defining the new roles and operational concepts: We will propose and validate the novel operational concepts and human roles which are necessary to support highly automated operations and airspace integration.

In delivering this comprehensive, actionable Roadmap, this paper provides the essential framework for ANSPs, regulators, and industry to accelerate the global acceptance and safe introduction of HAPS operations at scale, moving the CATS strategy from concept to validation.

Subject areas

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

Drones & UTM

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

11:00am

11:50am

ATM Modernisation: From Concept to Reality – A Global Perspective on Why Speed Matters

Frequentis Theatre

Klaus Meier Mark Hind Markus Klopf Philipp Piber Rebecca Guy Reinhard Grimm

Event info

“The transition of Air Traffic Management (ATM) from legacy analog systems to a digital, data-driven ecosystem is no longer a futuristic ambition—it is an operational imperative. As global flight volumes return to and exceed historic peaks, the “”digital gap”” between highly advanced aircraft and decades-old ground infrastructure has become a critical bottleneck. This panel brings together the architects of the world’s leading modernization programs—FAA (USA), SESAR (Europe), and the rapidly evolving architectures of the Asia-Pacific region—to move beyond the “”what”” of technology and address the “”how”” of global implementation.
Key Discussion Pillars
• The New Service Delivery Model: How the shift toward “”ATM-as-a-Service”” and cloud-based data sharing is breaking down the traditional, siloed borders of airspace management.
• Digital Towers and the use of AI: A look at the real-world deployment of virtual tower technology, moving from small-field proofs of concept to high-density international hubs in Europe and Asia and the potentials of AI in automation
• The Velocity of Innovation: Why the “”speed of change”” is the primary differentiator between system resilience and obsolescence. How can we accelerate certification and deployment cycles to match the pace of the New Entrants (AAM, UAS, and Space)?”

Subject areas

11:00am

11:50am

Sharing the Airspace Globally: Drone operations, digital service, and collaborative implementation

Wing Theatre

Alan Hicks Amanda Boekholt Amit Ganjoo Matthew Satterley Reinaldo Negron Stuart Lindsey

Event info

As regional drone economies build from localized implementations to scalable commercial operations, the successful integration of UAS into shared airspace hinges on robust digital infrastructure and harmonized governance. This panel explores the latest implementation milestones within the US UTM Implementation, EU U-space framework, and the UK’s UTM landscape and the applications across the global UTM ecosystem. The parameters, artefacts, and extensible processes will be compared across the EU, UK, and the US.

Drawing on global expertise, the discussion will explore themes of harmonization, reuse of proven structures, and simplification across airspace integration for uncrewed aviation. The panel will examine three distinct implementations that share a unified approach to safety, governance, and service delivery.

Subject areas

11:00am

11:50am

CANSO Leadership Conversation: Strengthening the skies - Technology, Resilience and Civil-Military Collaboration in a New Geopolitical Era

Boeing Theatre

Arndt Schoenemann Farhan Guliyev Hugo Espírito Santo Mark Cooper Ourania Georgoutsakou Sabine Hornig

Event info

Air transport demand continues to grow, with aircraft order books at record levels and new entrants adding further complexity to the system. Integrating these operations safely—without compromising the performance of existing airspace users—requires a step change in how we manage airspace. Digitalisation will be a key enabler, but must be implemented globally while remaining adaptable to regional realities.
At the same time, an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment is reshaping airspace. Restrictions, conflicts and shifting alliances are driving significant deviations from optimal routings, placing additional pressure on capacity, efficiency and sustainability. ANSPs must respond dynamically—scaling capacity, enhancing resilience, and accommodating evolving military requirements.
This panel will explore how technology, operational innovation and civil-military collaboration can address these challenges. It will also examine how ANSPs and airspace users can better align priorities to ensure a safe, efficient and resilient airspace system in an increasingly complex global context.

Subject areas

11:00am

11:25am

Assuring the Autonomous NAS: Verification, Validation, and Certification

Integra Theatre

Dan Hicok Leighton Quon Mile Corrigan

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies, Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

Abstract:
As automation and AI become central to the future NAS, traditional certification and verification approaches are increasingly mismatched to reality. Existing assurance processes are largely linear, document-driven, and designed for deterministic systems with infrequent updates, an approach that does not scale to adaptive algorithms, data-driven functions, and continuously evolving software. At the same time, safety requirements remain uncompromising.
This session focuses on how verification, validation, and certification practices must evolve to support highly automated and AI-enabled systems that learn, adapt, and interact with other intelligent services, generating behaviors at the system-of-systems level.
Discussion will address:
• Limitations of current certification models
Where conventional means of compliance fall short when applied to learning systems and adaptive autonomy.
• Verification and Validation (V&V) for AI and autonomy
Methods for assessing systems whose behavior is influenced by training data, operational context, and interaction with other agents.
• Run-time assurance architectures
Safety monitors that bound AI behavior, detect unsafe states, and intervene—reducing the need for full recertification after every model or data update.
• Evidence generation in digital environments
he role of digital twins, large-scale simulation, and scenario generation in building regulatory confidence and enabling operational approval.
• Equivalent processes and alternative means of compliance
Regulatory pathways that support performance-based evidence, defined operational envelopes, and structured risk cases as complements to prescriptive technology requirements.
• Assurance at the system-of-systems level
Approaches for evaluating emergent safety behavior across interacting ATM, UTM, AAM, and ETM systems spanning aircraft, ground infrastructure, and data services.
The session will emphasize practical mechanisms to accelerate certification without compromising safety, including modular approval approaches, incremental authorization, and continuous assurance based on operational data.
Participants will gain a clear understanding of the technical, regulatory, and organizational changes required to safely certify an autonomous, data-driven NAS, and the respective roles of regulators, ANSPs, researchers, and industry in achieving that outcome.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

11:00am

11:25am

Supporting civil and military ATM - Deployable towers

Viasat Theatre

Niclas Gustavsson

Event info

Defence & Military, Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

In a world of increased unrest, we need to ensure the availability of flexible, secure and capable Air Traffic Management solutions. As part of the DNA of Saab, we a working to keep people and society safe. One important solution to support this is our Remote Tower Deployable tower capabilities (r-TWR). This session will present the possibilities with an extended use of our digital tower products.

Further info:
Saab’s r-Tower Deployable is a mobile and flexible air traffic control system that can be set up in an hour to control airports remotely. It offers the same functionality as a traditional air traffic control tower, but with the ability to remotely control operations from another location via advanced sensor technology and communications. It can be used in both civilian and military operations. The system can be integrated with the Saab portfolio.

Subject areas

Defence & Military

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

11:30am

11:55am

Beyond the hype: AI as the next step in air traffic

Viasat Theatre

Javier Herrera Hernández

Event info

Artificial intelligence is emerging as the next natural step in the evolution of air traffic management. This session presents how AI is being integrated into safety critical ATM systems and how Indra, with decades of engineering and operational experience, is leveraging it to support long term industry goals, transforming innovation into operational value at scale.

Subject areas

11:30am

11:55am

Integrated Weather Intelligence as a Foundation for Safer and More Resilient Airport Operations

Integra Theatre

Aki Lilja Ida-Reetta Virranjoki

Event info

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM, Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies, Innovation to Enable Future Skies

As airports face increasing operational pressure from traffic growth, climate-driven weather volatility, and tighter safety and efficiency expectations, upgrading airport meteorological capabilities has become a strategic enabler rather than a purely technical exercise. Yet many airports and ANSPs still evolve their weather infrastructure through fragmented procurements, with sensors, alerting systems, and processing platforms acquired separately. This often leads to integration complexity, inconsistent data usage, duplicated effort, and higher lifecycle risk.

This session explores an integrated operational model for airport meteorological systems, where surface, approach-area, and remote sensing capabilities are designed, governed, and implemented as a coherent weather intelligence ecosystem. The presentation examines how aligning AWOS, wind shear alerting, and advanced remote sensing under a single operational concept can improve safety outcomes, predictability, and resilience while reducing project and integration risk.

Using real-world implementation examples, the session highlights how integrated weather intelligence supports situational awareness, enables more consistent alerting and decision support for tower and approach operations, and creates a scalable foundation for airport nowcasting and future digital and automated ATM concepts. The discussion also addresses how this model supports safety, efficiency and long-term optimization, particularly in environments with increasing weather variability.

Attendees will learn:
• How to structure airport meteorological systems as an integrated operational capability rather than a collection of standalone assets
• How coordinated AWOS, wind shear alerting, and remote sensing improve safety, capacity predictability, and operational resilience
• How integrated weather intelligence reduces integration and lifecycle risk while supporting future digital tower and trajectory-based operations
• Practical considerations for defining performance-based requirements, governance, and procurement models that maintain transparency and competition

This session is aimed at airport operators, ANSPs, regulators, and system integrators seeking practical, transferable guidance on reducing complexity and accelerating the transition toward data-driven, resilient airport and airspace operations.

Subject areas

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

12:00pm

12:50pm

CANSO Innovation: ATM Automation in 2050 and Beyond: How Far Will We Go?

Viasat Theatre

Christophe Rouquié Erick Corona Mark Hind Parimal Kopardekar Reinaldo Negron Stefan Galler

Event info

Automation is rapidly transforming air traffic management, from decision-support tools and digital data exchange to trajectory-based operations and increasing levels of system autonomy. As aviation evolves to accommodate new airspace users, higher traffic volumes and more complex operational environments, automation will play an essential role in ensuring safety, efficiency and scalability.
Looking ahead to 2050 and beyond, the ATM community must consider how far automation could realistically evolve and what this means for the roles of humans, machines and organisations within the system. Strategic outlooks such as the CATS CONOPS for Future Skies highlight a potential evolution towards highly integrated, digitally enabled airspace where advanced automation supports increasingly complex operations.
This panel will explore possible futures for ATM automation, examining how emerging technologies could reshape operational responsibilities, safety assurance and human–machine collaboration. Experts from across the aviation ecosystem will discuss how automation may evolve from decision-support systems towards more integrated and adaptive operational environments.
The discussion will also address key questions for the decades ahead: What levels of automation are operationally and socially acceptable? How will roles and responsibilities evolve between humans and automated systems? And how can the aviation community ensure that innovation continues to strengthen safety, resilience and trust across the global ATM system?

Subject areas

12:00pm

12:25pm

Lifting ground operations at Paris Charles de Gaulle to CP1 standards

Integra Theatre

Geoffroy Chevalier Monica Lapadatu

Event info

CP1, part of the European ATM Master Plan, encourages major airports to improve runway safety, efficiency and sustainability of airport operations through investments in new technology and system integration. Paris Charles de Gaulle, the EU’s largest airport, is upgrading its tower systems to meet the CP1 requirements. Indra and DSNA are working together to implement a state-of-the-art system with advanced safety nets such as CMAC/CATC, optimized routing functionality, electronic flight strips, and overall airport systems integration.
This presentation will share key lessons from this complex project, highlighting how these technologies benefit the airport, operators, airspace users and ANSPs seeking similar improvements.

Subject areas

12:00pm

12:25pm

From Surveillance Target Generation to Multi-Navaid Validation Using Drones

Wing Theatre

Domien De Ruyck Hervé Demule

Event info

Defence & Military, Drones & UTM, Innovation to Enable Future Skies, Seamless Skies for All

The integration of drone technology into aviation surveillance and navigation validation is transforming traditional methodologies. This presentation explores the evolution from military surveillance target generation to advanced multi-navaid validation using drones. By leveraging drones equipped with advanced SDR transceivers, we demonstrate the journey from specific military applications to precise, flexible, and cost-effective validation of navigation aids, radars, PAPI and more. The session highlights operational concepts, technical challenges, and future prospects for drone-based CNS assurance in modern airspace systems

Subject areas

Defence & Military

Drones & UTM

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Seamless Skies for All

12:00pm

12:50pm

Human-Centered AI in Air Traffic Control Training and Operations

Boeing Theatre

Anthony Mackay Greg Pile Terry Biggio Tim Arel

Event info

Other

AI is moving from concept to capability across air traffic management, supporting controllers and instructors in practical, measurable ways. This session explores how AI-enabled decision support and advanced simulation are enhancing safety, consistency and workforce readiness within established operational and regulatory frameworks. Drawing on real-world examples from live operations and accredited training environments, the discussion will highlight how AI supports air traffic control performance, adaptive training and data-informed readiness while keeping human judgment at the center. Topics include transparency, trust, regulator confidence and preparing for mixed-equipage environments, staffing pressures and emerging air mobility through evolved training models.

Subject areas

Other

12:00pm

12:50pm

A6 Alliance: Digitalisation, Virtualisation & Operational Innovation in European ATM

Frequentis Theatre

Magdalena Jaworska-Mackowiak Peter Merz Philipp Piber Vincenzo Smorto

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

The A6 Alliance and its members are responsible for the safe management of more than 80% of Europe’s air traffic, which puts them into an unique position as ANSPs to discuss the future of European Air Traffic Management from an operational and technolgical point of view:
Which technologies are true game changers for the New Service Delivery Model (e.g. cloud, virtualisation, data sharing platforms, AI), and how can we ensure cybersecurity, resilience, and interoperability while moving towards service-based, software-defined ATM infrastructures?

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

12:30pm

12:55pm

Extending the cross-border arrival streaming concept through an optimized arrival stream into capacity-constrained airports

Integra Theatre

Adam Gunnett Adrian Clark Andy (Szabolcs) Borgyos

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

The UK Airspace Modernization Strategy is an ambitious program to modernize, improve and optimize airspace operations. GE Aerospace and project partner NATS, together with Ryanair and Stansted Airport, are continuing work on an exciting R&D concept project to exploit the aircraft extended arrivals process at capacity-constrained airports. This uses enhanced trajectory prediction and traffic stream optimization during the pre-descent extended arrival phase, and subsequently into the descent phase, aiming to deliver a smooth flow of aircraft into the TMA to meet the target landing rate.

This feeds into broad industry-wide objectives for reducing emissions, noise and delay. In addition, it maps to objectives defined in the UK PCP (SI 2022/211) and EU CP1 regulations. Join us for this session to get an update on the project’s findings and get a glimpse into how sharing critical real time data might lead to one of the industry’s most transformational efficiency developments.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

12:30pm

12:55pm

From Concept to Console: Germany’s ATCO Operational Model for Drone Integration in CTRs

Wing Theatre

Markus Biedermann

Event info

Seamless Skies for All

The presentation will outline how Germany is pioneering the safe integration of drones (VLOS and BVLOS) into control zones, such as operational procedures for swarm operations and emergency service UAS. A key focus will be on how ATCOs work with these concepts in practice. The talk will also introduce a new vertical sectorization model and show how it aligns with existing building protection structures to enable scalable and predictable UAS operations.

Subject areas

Seamless Skies for All

1:00pm

1:50pm

CANSO Europe: Resilience and civil-military cooperation

Integra Theatre

Arndt Schoenemann Christophe Vivier Enrico Parini Juan Angel Treceño Mariagrazia La Piscopia

Event info

As Europe’s security environment becomes increasingly volatile, strengthening the resilience of the aviation system represents a strategic imperative. Enhanced civil-military cooperation and greater interoperability are essential to ensure continuity of operations while accommodating growing military demands and facilitating traffic growth. Building on initiatives such as SESAR and the EU’s Military Mobility agenda, this panel will explore how Europe can better integrate its civil and military capabilities. It will highlight the policy and operational levers needed to enable effective military air mobility while preserving the performance of the wider European network.

Subject areas

1:00pm

1:50pm

Innovation to Enable Future Skies: Building Resilience and Efficiency or Building Complexity?

Viasat Theatre

Lars Oppermann Olivier Nicolay Patricia Gilbert Yasudha Sahi

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

The aviation industry is racing toward a future of smarter, safer, and more sustainable skies, but the question we’re asking today is: Is innovation truly enabling that future, or is it creating new layers of complexity?
We’ll explore whether innovations, such as remote towers, virtual centres or AI/ML enhanced Advanced Surface Movement Ground Control System (A-SMGCS) are the enablers we think they are, or if they’re overwhelming the very people tasked with keeping our skies safe.
This panel dives into a discussion to strike a balance between People, Processes, and Technology:
• Are cutting-edge technologies empowering air traffic controllers or adding operational complexity? Additionally, is there a human centric approach to achieving seamless skies using these digital enhancements?
• How are airports able to support ANSPs strike a balance between smarter, efficient and economical ATM and prioritizing safety and security
• Are these digital enhancements ensuring resilience or introducing new vulnerabilities?
• Are the regulatory frameworks and guidelines ensuring safety or increasing risks of these new technologies overwhelming the industry/ postponing the inevitable?
Our distinguished panellists collectively bring decades of experience from the key aviation stakeholders such as the airports, CAA/ANSPs, IFATCA and Suppliers. Together, they’ll share insights on how they are contributing to enable the future of skies, and challenge assumptions about what it really takes to make innovation an enabler, not a disruptor.

NB – Confirmed Panellists include: IFATCA Rep, Supplier – SAAB Rep and CAA Malaysia Rep.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

1:00pm

1:50pm

The future of air traffic management: How ready are we for AI integration?

Frequentis Theatre

Claudia Bacco Dirk Kuegler, Prof.-Dr.-Ing. Eduardo García, PhD Ivar Värk Marius Muenstermann

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Two key factors are motivating ANSPs to automate their operational processes: on the one hand, air traffic management is a highly complex and demanding job with inherent safety risks that can endanger human life, while on the other hand, high barriers to entry, a limited talent pool and high staffing costs make hiring more air traffic controllers a challenge.

Several AI-enabled applications allowing controllers to focus on complex tasks rather than routine activities are set to launch over the next few years. Initial implementations will assist human operators in decision-making and action selection. More advanced rollouts will foster closer human-AI collaboration through team approaches or even advanced automation modes, where AI will take the lead in decision-making

In this panel discussion, industry experts explore how future AI technologies will increase efficiency and resilience in airspace operations.
• DLR German Aerospace Center – Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dirk Kuegler, Director: How research demonstrates the potential of AI-enabled technologies to transform the future role of the air traffic controller (ATCO)
• An air navigation service provider perspective: How AI-based ATCO assistance can improve the operational efficiency of air traffic control operations and services
• CANSO – Eduardo García, PhD, Senior Manager Future Skies: How digital information sharing, advanced automation and AI technologies are optimizing airspace capacity, safety and sustainability
• Rohde & Schwarz – Marius Muenstermann, Vice President ATC: How novel AI applications will address air traffic efficiency and safety
• Global Airspace Radar – Claudia Bacco, Editor-in-Chief: Moderation

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

1:00pm

1:25pm

The Next Gen ATM platform

Boeing Theatre

Alain Siebert Anna von Groote Arnaud Chivard Friedrich-Wilhelm Menge Magnús Már Þórðarson Philipp Piber

Event info

People, Skills & Next-Gen, Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM, Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies, Innovation to Enable Future Skies

The traditional model of closed, proprietary ATM systems is reaching its limit in an increasingly complex and data-driven sky. We are currently in the midst of a technological revolution, and the ATM sector must recognize this shift by ensuring a platform is in place to integrate these emerging technologies in a cost-effective and secure manner. This panel brings together industry experts to discuss this paradigm shift: the move toward a truly collaborative ATM platform. Instead of isolated development, we explore a future built on Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)s, where ANSPs and vendors work in tandem to foster innovation.

We will discuss how dedicated research into cloud-native environments and Innovation support can be shared across a wider ecosystem to increase safety, reduce fragmentation, and allow for the rapid adoption of new technologies. The focus is not on a single product, but on a collective methodology that empowers ANSPs to adapt to the next decade of aviation challenges.

Key Discussion Points:

How a service-oriented approach allows for the seamless integration of best-of-breed components from various developers.
Identify the structural benefits of moving from monolithic legacy systems to modular, service-based architectures.
Utilizing cloud environments to break down geographical barriers and support cross-border ATM cooperation.
Explore how collaborative research between ANSPs and vendors can lower the “barrier to entry” for new, innovative ATM tools.

Modern airspace requires a level of agility that single-vendor systems struggle to provide. By focusing on the development of a collaborative platform, this session addresses the industry’s most pressing need: flexibility. We will demonstrate how a commitment to open cooperation and shared innovation can de-risk modernization efforts for ANSPs while creating a more resilient global airspace.

Subject areas

People, Skills & Next-Gen

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

1:00pm

1:25pm

Punctuality at capacity: a Heathrow-NATS operational case study

Wing Theatre

Ben Sandford Diogene De Souza

Event info

Seamless Skies for All

In 2025, Heathrow demonstrated how performance gains can be delivered at scale, even in one of the world’s most constrained and complex operating environments. Through closer system-wide collaboration and the deployment of advanced airspace capability, the airport delivered a stunning performance improvement that saw it crowned Europe’s most punctual hub.

This joint session from Heathrow and NATS examines how the introduction of Intelligent Approach Pairwise separation – described as the foundation of the airport’s punctuality improvement – has been a game changer in reducing arrival delay by 80%, minimising holding and maximising runway utilisation. Attendees will learn how Intelligent Approach supports more predictable operations, how it integrates with wider airport and airline processes, and the operational and cultural factors required to embed new technology safely and effectively.

Subject areas

Seamless Skies for All

1:30pm

1:55pm

Advancing ATM Through ANSP and Industry Partner Co-Development

Boeing Theatre

Will Estrada

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

ANSPs are under increasing pressure to modernize their Air Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) while balancing operational efficiency, budget constraints, and regulatory requirements. Co-development — a collaborative approach in which ANSPs and industry partners jointly develop solutions — offers an alternative to traditional procurement models. This session will explore how direct collaboration with industry partners can accelerate technology adoption, better align solutions with operational and regulatory needs, and reduce long-term costs by reducing reliance on proprietary vendor systems. It will also examine how co-development enables a more iterative and responsive development cycle, strengthens industry partnerships, and builds internal expertise to support sustainable modernization. Co-development is not a panacea but for many ANSPs it can be a strategic and achievable path forward. With the right governance, resourcing, and clarity of roles and responsibilities, organizations can effectively manage the associated complexities and realize meaningful operational and modernization benefits.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

1:30pm

1:55pm

The journey from CP1 to SWIM Compliance

Wing Theatre

Jasper Kryger Jacko Mads Grønfeldt

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

European ANSPs face increasing urgency to transition from CP1 requirements to SWIM compliance. In this session, the Danish ANSP Naviair and Insero Air Traffic Solutions share how they successfully navigated this complex transformation.

Operating within an evolving European SWIM framework and facing a hard deadline in December 2025, Naviair needed to implement a secure, scalable, and reliable SWIM solution. To achieve this goal and become CP1 compliant, Naviair spent much effort, time, and research to come up with a concept idea that Naviair believed would be sustainable. Naviair achieved this through a phased and agile co creation model, Naviair and IATS combined core competencies and proven technologies with the development flexibility of the Insero AviSky data platform. The result is a robust, security focused SWIM environment designed for long term growth.

The collaboration delivered a comprehensive SWIM Technical Infrastructure deployed both on premises and in the cloud, publication of SWIM services in the EUROCONTROL Service Registry, proven compliance with EUROCONTROL SPEC 168/169/170, and a security architecture validated through accredited penetration testing. A complete Safety Support package ensured regulatory alignment and approval by the Danish Transport Authority.

Attendees will gain practical insights into managing SWIM transformation, balancing regulatory, operational, and cybersecurity requirements, and designing a European-ready-data-sharing platform. The session concludes with perspectives on the next stages of the platform’s evolution.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

2:00pm

2:50pm

CANSO Africa: Practical Pathways for ATM Planning and Implementation

Boeing Theatre

Flora Mwanshinga Hamad Rashid Al Belushi Lionel Bernard-Peyre Margarett Marques da Graça Mike Hornby Prosper Zo'o Minto'o

Event info

For Africa, success in future growth depends on modernisation, harmonised planning, transparent information-sharing, alignment in investment planning and decision-making, and embedding collaboration into the institutional culture. Coordinated investment, sustainable financing, and executive-level leadership are therefore as vital as any technical upgrade to realise Africa’s future seamless sky.
However, all of this must be achieved while continuing to improve the current operational environment. The starting point therefore points to similar approaches in master planning and investment planning. This includes an open ecosystem that recognises all stakeholders and allows for appropriate input at the right time.
It is acknowledged that national, regional, and global air navigation plans often operate in parallel, creating duplicated effort, gaps, and inconsistent timelines. The panel will explore simpler approaches that the CANSO regional community, working with other stakeholders—including OEMs—can bring to the table to enhance planning and implementation, as well as approaches that can be replicated across the region.
The discussion will also examine how a single, pragmatic, continent-wide roadmap can help accelerate the process of modernisation. Using the CATS phases (Digital Information Sharing, Automation, Seamless Airspace), the panel will discuss current initiatives and identify what can be shared and replicated across the region for the benefit of the industry.
Finally, the panel will explore ways of collaborating that build bridges and enable CANSO members to set new benchmarks in planning and

Subject areas

2:00pm

2:25pm

AI in ATM

Frequentis Theatre

Thibaud Figueroa

Event info

AI will reshape air traffic management: in its tools, its processes, its culture, and its very foundations. But beyond the hype, what is actually happening on the ground? This session cuts through the noise created by the generative AI wave to demystify AI in ATM: what is real, what is not yet, and what the industry must genuinely prepare for. A grounded, unvarnished perspective from Thales on one of aviation’s most defining transitions.

Subject areas

2:00pm

2:25pm

See it in action: BVLOS flight planning that scales to UTM/ATM integrated AAM.

Viasat Theatre

Anthony Lawrenson Anthony Spouncer

Event info

Advanced Air Mobility will only scale when uncrewed BVLOS operations can safely and predictably coexist with crewed traffic in shared airspace. This session explores how integrated UTM/ATM frameworks, combined with communications performance aligned to the RPAS/BVLOS requirements of the Iris programme, enable that coexistence. The discussion focuses on how communications requirements evolve as operational complexity and risk increase, framed as an operational necessity rather than a technology upgrade.

The session opens with a short live Volant flight planning and execution demo across controlled and uncontrolled airspace within a single geographic setting. Using SORA SAIL levels purely as a reference framework for demonstration purposes, the demo illustrates cumulative operational progression as missions expand in scale, traffic density and airspace integration. SORA is used here as a common risk based language only and does not represent or replace other global regulatory frameworks, though similar principles are expected to emerge as regulations mature.

Throughout the session we examine what stakeholders must prepare for now: UTM/ATM data exchange, controller support tools, BVLOS service expectations and how communications architectures evolve from single link terrestrial solutions to resilient multi link designs that include satellite connectivity. The discussion highlights where terrestrial infrastructure alone becomes insufficient, how satcom transitions from contingency to integral capability, and why multi link C2 is essential to maintain compliance and continuity as operations approach crewed and commercial airspace.

Attendees can expect practical steps for how ANSPs, regulators, operators and OEMs can build the technical, regulatory and operational foundations required to support safe, scalable AAM services that integrate seamlessly into existing airspace.

Subject areas

2:00pm

2:50pm

Breaking out of the Walled Garden: Interoperability within Service-Oriented Architectures for the Automation Platforms of the Future

Integra Theatre

Armin Klingler Claude Levacher Dan Mobsby Kelly Richardson Neil Bowles

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

As Service-Oriented Architecture models for ATM mature, interoperability between third-party applications is becoming a competitive advantage rather than a technical nice-to-have. This panel brings together experts from across regulators, standards bodies, and industry to explore how open, interoperable automation platforms enable companies to collaborate, reduce vendor lock-in, and accelerate the delivery of better, more resilient products for customers.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

2:00pm

2:25pm

Towards more meaningful ANSP cost-effectiveness benchmarking

Wing Theatre

Juraj Jirku

Event info

Policy, Regulation & Governance

Cost-effectiveness benchmarking is a cornerstone of performance regulation in air traffic management, providing a high-level view of how ANSPs transform resources into operational output. While existing frameworks offer valuable comparability across providers, they inevitably rely on simplified representations of output and cost drivers. As a result, differences in operational and environmental conditions can significantly influence outcomes, sometimes obscuring the underlying drivers of performance.

This presentation explores how factors such as airspace size and structure, traffic mix, transit times, traffic complexity, and operational constraints shape cost-effectiveness measurements across ANSPs. Drawing on recent analytical work and cross-ANSP comparisons, the session illustrates how these characteristics can materially affect commonly used performance indicators, even when service provision quality and efficiency efforts are comparable.

Rather than challenging existing benchmarking frameworks, the presentation adopts a forward-looking perspective, focusing on how performance assessments can be better contextualised to support informed regulatory and policy discussions. It examines opportunities to enhance interpretability through complementary indicators, clustering approaches, and the systematic use of operational context alongside headline metrics. The objective is not to replace established benchmarks, but to enrich their interpretation so that they more accurately reflect the diversity of ANSP operating environments.

By framing benchmarking as a tool for insight rather than ranking alone, the session aims to contribute to a more constructive dialogue between regulators, ANSPs, and stakeholders. It highlights how more nuanced performance assessment can support better-informed policy decisions, encourage targeted efficiency improvements, and strengthen confidence in the governance of ATM performance frameworks.

Key takeaways for the audience

Understand how operational and environmental factors influence measured ANSP cost-effectiveness outcomes.measurements.

Gain insight into why contextualisation matters for fair and policy-relevant benchmarking.

Explore practical ways to enhance the interpretability of existing performance indicators without undermining comparability.

Learn how improved benchmarking dialogue can support better regulation, governance, and strategic decision-making.…

Subject areas

Policy, Regulation & Governance

2:30pm

3:20pm

Resilience, Safety and Competitiveness

Wing Theatre

Andrea Trimarchi Marko Hrastovec Pascal Rohault Richard Amy Véronique Travers Sutter

Event info

The rapid evolution of air traffic management technologies is reshaping the regulatory and certification landscape, challenging established processes while creating new opportunities for innovation. This panel will address how regulatory frameworks can effectively accommodate emerging technologies without compromising safety, interoperability, or operational robustness.
The discussion will explore mechanisms for integrating innovation into existing and future regulatory structures, including the transition from service providers’ responsibility for ground equipment towards approved design and production organisations. Particular emphasis will be placed on the development of clear, detailed, and implementable specifications that support compliance attestation activities while remaining adaptable to technological change. The panel will also examine the allocation and sharing of responsibilities between manufacturers and operators within service-based and modular architectures, where traditional boundaries of accountability are increasingly blurred.

Subject areas

2:30pm

2:55pm

Testability under Continuous Change in ATM Systems - Lessons from ATM System Test Tool towards ApprovAir

Viasat Theatre

Attila Mészáros

Event info

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM, Innovation to Enable Future Skies

ATM systems are increasingly required to evolve under continuous change, driven by faster development cycles, deeper system integrations, and the parallel operation of legacy and SWIM-enabled digital services. In such environments, maintaining confidence, evidence, and compliance at system and procedure level becomes progressively more difficult using traditional testing and assurance approaches.

Building on joint work between ProofIT, an ATM software test automation specialist, and HungaroControl as an ANSP, this presentation focuses on practical experience gained from applying automated, system-level regression testing in complex, real-world ATM environments. Following the early results presented at Airspace World 2024 (Geneva) and 2025 (Lisbon), the session concentrates on lessons learned since then: how system-level testability can be supported across different ATM systems and manufacturers; how portable test cases can be defined to reduce duplicated effort and support adoption across different airspaces and operational contexts; and how such approaches can be aligned with existing ATM compliance and assurance frameworks.

The presentation also shares experience from defining, executing, reporting, and analysing cross-system, procedure-level automated tests that support the day-to-day work of ATSEPs and ATM engineers.

Based on previous Airspace World sessions, the topic is expected to be relevant for a mixed audience including ANSPs, ATM system manufacturers, integrators, and regulatory and policy stakeholders within the ATM domain.

Subject areas

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

2:30pm

2:55pm

Knowledge Graphs, AI, and Ontologies: Unlocking the Next Level of Aviation Safety Analysis

Frequentis Theatre

David Morales Núria Alsina Pujol

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies, Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

Aviation safety analysis faces a structural problem, not a data shortage. Critical signals are dispersed across thousands of occurrence reports, written in multiple languages and shaped by inconsistent terminology. Analysts are expected to detect correlations, identify precursors, and anticipate emerging risks, yet the underlying evidence remains fragmented.

Each occurrence combines structured taxonomy fields with unstructured narrative text, but occurrences are largely isolated from one another at the dataset level. The result is a collection of documents, not a connected body of safety knowledge.

Semantic search improves recall by identifying conceptually similar reports, but similarity is not understanding. It cannot trace causal relationships, follow event sequences, or reason across contributing factors, outcomes, and timelines. Moving from retrieval to analysis requires explicit structure: knowledge graphs grounded in domain ontologies.

This talk presents a GraphRAG approach that integrates AI-driven information extraction with knowledge graphs aligned to the ECCAIRS taxonomy. We demonstrate a system that:

Understands both exploratory questions and precise domain-specific language without relying on exact terminology
Enables a general-purpose LLM to operate reliably in a highly regulated, technical safety domain
Connects facts across reports through entity resolution, graph traversal, and relationship-based reasoning
Supports temporal reasoning over event progressions and response timelines

Using a demonstration based on synthetic European occurrence data, we illustrate how this approach transforms aviation safety occurrences into a navigable semantic space. This enables new forms of exploration, analysis, and sense-making in a domain where complexity, uncertainty, and context are central, reshaping how safety investigations can be conducted at scale.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

3:00pm

3:25pm

Enable operational value by accelerating implementation and closing “the chasm”, an OEM perspective

Boeing Theatre

Bill Peterson

Event info

Commercial aviation is accelerating, and the industry must deliver efficient, safe, and resilient operations to keep pace. Boeing partners with aviation stakeholders to unlock measurable value—such as fuel savings—yet translating innovations into routine operations requires bridging a well-known implementation gap. That “chasm” creates roadblocks that delay adoption; stakeholders must adopt proven best practices and decisive actions now to accelerate operational change and realize the benefits.

Subject areas

3:00pm

3:50pm

Enabling a Trajectory-Based future: CNS technologies powering tomorrow’s airspace

Frequentis Theatre

Carlos Passos Christian Pradera François- Xavier Prach Heiko Teper Manuel Rivas Vila Mark Watson Nils Haeusler Olivia Nunez Predrag Vranjkovic

Event info

As Europe advances toward a fully digital and trajectory-based air traffic management environment, with CP1 ATM Functionality 6 – Initial Trajectory Information Sharing as enabler, robust and modernized CNS (Communication, Navigation & Surveillance) capabilities are essential.
Speakers will discuss the deployment status of AF6 and latest CNS innovations, the role of digitalisation and interoperability, the evolution of air-ground communications, and how these elements converge to make Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO) a reality.
Designed for aviation and ATM stakeholders, this session provides strategic perspectives combined with technology insights, and a forward-looking view of Europe’s path to modernised, scalable, and sustainable airspace operations.

Subject areas

3:00pm

3:50pm

Civil-military cooperation at the EUROCONTROL Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC)

Integra Theatre

Chris Jeeves Frank Josten Peggy Devestel Roel Huurdeman

Event info

Defence & Military, Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

The EUROCONTROL Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC) proposes to host a session that showcases the work of MUAC as a cross-border, civil-military air navigation service provider (ANSP).

Title: Civil-military cooperation at the EUROCONTROL Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC)

Summary:

The EUROCONTROL Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC) is responsible for the provision of upper airspace air traffic control services over Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and north-west Germany; one of the busiest and most complex airspace areas in Europe. MUAC operates within a unique multinational civil–military environment, requiring continuous coordination across national boundaries.

This session will explore how MUAC integrates civil and military requirements into its day-to-day operations through close coordination, flexible use of airspace, and network-centric decision-making. Drawing on operational experience, the session will illustrate how dynamic traffic demand, military activity, and airspace constraints are managed to ensure delivery of safe, reliable, and efficient services; all while balancing the operational needs of both civil and military airspace users.

Subject areas

Defence & Military

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

3:00pm

3:50pm

The future is already in orbit: user perspectives on space-based VHF communications

Viasat Theatre

Carlos Figueiredo Jordi Manzano Puigredon Juan José Cornejo Fernández Pablo de la Viuda Ricardo Abreu Yolanda Gavilan Hérnandez

Event info

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM, Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies, Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Startical has already launched its first demonstrators for SB-VHF Voice and Data communications. In this session, pilots, ATCOs, ANSPs and airlines share their perspectives on the first-ever VHF communications carried out from space.

Subject areas

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

3:00pm

4:00pm

ENAV Group Fold&Fly Paper Plane Challenge

Other (see details)

Event info

LOCATION: The outside area between halls 1 and 2

Join the Fold & Fly Challenge, the high-energy paper airplane competition where creativity, precision and aerodynamic genius collide in the skies of the exhibition floor.
Form a team of 2 people, design your ultimate aircraft, and battle for glory across multiple thrilling categories.

The challenge categories:

Longest Distance: Whose aircraft can conquer the skies and travel the farthest?
Best Accuracy: Can your plane hit the target? Only the sharpest pilots and smartest engineers will dominate this challenge.
Longest Air time: Flight endurance matters. Whose creation will dance in the air the longest before touching the ground?
Bonus Creative Award: Bring personality to the runway. The funniest, smartest or most aviation-inspired team name wins the special creative prize.

Subject areas

3:30pm

4:20pm

CANSO Innovation: Co-Designing Change for Future Skies: A Human-Centred Approach to ATM Transformation.

Wing Theatre

Andrea Sack Ben Stanley Helena Sjöström Falk Ing. Frank Kofi Apeagyei Nick Daniels Nick von Schoenberg Tatjana Bolic

Event info

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

Air traffic management is entering a period of profound transformation driven by automation, digitalisation and the emergence of new airspace users and operational models. While technological innovation is accelerating, the success of ATM modernisation ultimately depends on how organisations design and manage change.
This panel will explore how the ATM community can adopt a more human-centred approach to transformation, ensuring that operational roles, decision-making processes, workforce competencies and organisational structures evolve alongside technology. Bringing together perspectives from across the ATM stakeholder community, the discussion will examine how to co-design change in a way that strengthens safety, operational resilience and workforce confidence, while enabling the successful implementation of future ATM concepts.

Subject areas

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

3:30pm

4:20pm

Accelerating ATC Training Evolution Through Proven Industry Practices

Boeing Theatre

Adriano Acanfora Anthony Mackay David Ritchey Lieutenant-Colonel N.R. Ryan Lyne Moreau Sandra Rouphael Slavomir Novotny

Event info

Defence & Military, People, Skills & Next-Gen, Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies, Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Air Navigation Service Providers face rising traffic complexity, rapid technological change, and growing expectations for seamless civil–military collaboration. In this context, a fundamental question for ANSP leaders emerges: Do current ATS training models truly build operational performance and resilience, ensuring a sustainable future workforce, or do they mainly deliver legacy training to satisfy regulatory minima? As air navigation services transform, there is a strategic imperative to align training with core outcomes: safety, capacity, efficiency, and data-driven performance. This session brings leaders across industries and domains together to share proven practices that can be adapted to air traffic services training and explore where these approaches deliver the greatest impact.

Subject areas

Defence & Military

People, Skills & Next-Gen

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

4:00pm

4:25pm

Please panic! What Europe needs to discuss before changing the ATCO rulebook

Integra Theatre

Marina Estal Muñoz Pál Péter Bárdos

Event info

Europe’s ATM system is facing a familiar but uncomfortable equation: demand is volatile, capacity pressure is real, and ATCO supply is under strain. But the answer is not simply “train faster,” “automate harder,” or “harmonise everything.” This session, linked to DG MOVE’s study on the next generation of ATCO licensing rules, will open a frank discussion on what really needs to change: cooperation instead of competition between ANSPs; more dialogue and collective learning in the ANSP and NSA community; a more honest view of what should be common and what should remain tailored to local realities; how to take a network perspective without trying to blitz scale every local solution; a mature conversation about automation and the changing ATCO role; and a shift from debating isolated training parameters to improving the effectiveness of the whole ATCO pipeline. Expect no data dump, no finished answers, and no comfortable slogans — just the key questions Europe’s ATM community needs to discuss now, before committing to a new regulatory framework.

Subject areas

4:00pm

4:25pm

Be ready for the future of aviation: Modernize, secure and future-proof ATM communications ground-ground network

Frequentis Theatre

Laurent Phimphachanh Thaddeus Baringer

Event info

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies, Innovation to Enable Future Skies, Seamless Skies for All, Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

Modernizing ground-ground communications is a strategic imperative to transform the capacity of the industry with a unified, service-centric network architecture capable of handling the exponential surge in aviation data.
As air traffic volumes rise and new entrants like drones and eVTOLs enter the airspace, legacy systems lack the deterministic performance and scalability required for real-time, safety-critical collaboration.
By implementing intelligent, application-aware routing and robust cybersecurity, SITA’s modern and secure networks ensure that vital voice and surveillance data are delivered with absolute priority, operational excellence and resilience. Our digital backbone becomes essential for enabling advanced operational concepts like Trajectory Based Operations (TBO) and System Wide Information Management (SWIM), which are necessary to optimize airspace capacity, enhance situational awareness, and support the sustainable, long-term growth of global aviation.

Subject areas

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Seamless Skies for All

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

4:00pm

4:25pm

Change Management as a mandatory enabler for ATM Transformation

Viasat Theatre

Benjamin Monteils Jelena Dokic Marc Baumgartner Marouan Chida Paul Johnson

Event info

People, Skills & Next-Gen

The major transformations currently affecting ATM stakeholders are far-reaching, and sometimes full of paradoxes. They go well beyond the technical modernization of systems, involving a global transformation of operating modes and professional practices. In a safety-critical, high-reliability operational environment, the challenge is to do more and faster—in terms of capacity, performance—without ever compromising safety, under increased requirements for justification of decision-making, and production of evidence.
This growing tension between performance and safety represents a genuine challenge, above all a human one.
As European carries large ambition to transform the industry , as the new master plan brings strategic deployment objectives to be implemented by 2035, what can be done to translate those ambitions into concretes actions in the field, what can leverage from existing experience, which kind of methodologies can be applied …?
It is essential to connect ambition with best practices and change management.

These transformations take place within organizations characterized by rare expertise, built through experience, practice, and repetition. The retirement of key populations, the arrival of automation and AI raise critical questions around skills management, the transmission of tacit knowledge, and the redefinition of the human role within the production loop : trust in tools, the ability to regain control or understand decision pathways, acceptance of new forms of cooperation with machines, and more…

Strategy, operations and technical directorates play together a decisive role here: leading by example, providing meaning, taking responsibility for choices, and embodying the expected changes.

What types of pilot applications should be launched as part of a Cloud transformation? What impacts does such a transformation generate, and how can they be anticipated? How can ATSEP accept, endorse responsibility while delegating hardware management?
How can organizations and the all value-chain move from an individual, permanent safety concern to a collective culture built around the Safety Management System (SMS), thereby ensuring compliance with the new framework?
How can suitable “sand boxes” be created and well used to foster creativity, collaboration and innovation, demonstrate the value of certain technologies through operational use cases, and turn experimentation into a true design lever?
Why is a managerial transformation indispensable to foster collaboration, break down silos, steer projects, give meaning to teams, and explain the “why”?

Change management in the ATM sector is not only about accelerating transformation but about ensuring that modernization strengthens — rather than destabilizing system reliability and confidence.
Mastering change becomes a fundamental condition for both safety and performance.
Our dear customers and partners will share with you their own concretes experiences and lessons learned enriching, confirming or challenging our Sopra Steria Change Management convictions for the High Reliability Organizations such as ATM ecosystem.

Subject areas

People, Skills & Next-Gen

Thu 28 May

Event

Location

Speakers

10:00am

10:25am

Building ATM readiness: What flight-test data tells us about the next ATM datalink era.

Viasat Theatre

Danny Bharj Simon Hutton

Event info

Discover how Boeing’s ATN/IPS and Iris flight trials are shaping the future of connected airspace. This session reveals real performance results powered by the full Iris architecture; from aircraft and satellite links to ground systems and aerorack processing and shows how they translate into operational advantages for ANSPs. Learn how today’s flight data already meets ICAO requirements, how IPS strengthens future compliance, and how OSI and IPS compare in real world conditions.

CGI acts as the design authority and prime integrator of the AeroRack, responsible for specifying, integrating and testing critical ATN subsystems that enable both current and next generation datalink services. This includes integration of the Airtel AGR for ATN/OSI and the Frequentis IPS Gateway for ATN/IPS as managed AeroRack subsystems, together with the supporting infrastructure and management interfaces required for operational deployment. ATN/OSI monitoring streams are delivered to Skyguide and Viasat servers, enabling performance analysis, service monitoring and regulatory visibility.

The session also draws on CGI’s support to the Iris and eco D ATN/IPS flight trials, including contribution to system readiness and interpretation of collected test data. Attendees will see how today’s flight test evidence already meets ICAO performance requirements, how IPS strengthens future compliance, and how OSI and IPS compare under real world conditions.

With clear operational insights grounded in live flight data, this session shows how next generation satellite enabled datalink services are moving from trial to operational readiness, providing a scalable, future proof foundation for a more efficient, digital ATM environment.

Subject areas

10:00am

10:50am

New Entrants - U-space, Space and Aviation

Boeing Theatre

Jakub Karas Maria Algar Ruiz Olivia Nunez Ovidiu Dumitrache Sebastian Babiarz Stephen Osullivan

Event info

The growth of drone operations is increasing pressure on Europe’s airspace and accelerating the need for scalable, harmonised integration solutions. U-space provides the EU framework and eco-system to enable safe and efficient drone operations alongside manned aviation, but its transition from regulation to operational deployment raises challenges related to interoperability, ATM integration, resilience and governance.
This panel will assess the state of U-space implementation across Europe and will discuss priorities for its evolution, including the need for research to support the industry, the role of GNSS-based services, certification and oversight, and cooperation between civil, governmental and public-interest users of the airspace.
Moderated jointly by EDA and EUSPA, with participation from European institutions including SJU, EASA and industry representatives.

Subject areas

10:00am

10:25am

Rethinking Human Performance Risk: Why Safety Systems Still Fail

Integra Theatre

Mabble Munyimani

Event info

Policy, Regulation & Governance, People, Skills & Next-Gen, Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

As aviation systems become increasingly advanced, many safety frameworks continue to perform as designed, yet incidents still occur. This session explores how human performance operates as a system variable within safety-critical environments, and how factors such as cognitive load, staffing models, and operational complexity can converge to create risk. Drawing on recent industry patterns, the session offers a system-level perspective on how organisations can better identify, manage, and mitigate these risks.

Key takeaways:
Why human error is often the final symptom, not the root cause
How cognitive load, fatigue, and staffing structures influence real-time decision-making
The role of system visibility and coordination gaps in operational risk
Practical considerations for strengthening system-level safeguards across ATM and operational environments

Subject areas

Policy, Regulation & Governance

People, Skills & Next-Gen

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

10:00am

10:25am

Enabling Trajectory-Based Operations through OLDI Modernization over SWIM Yellow Profile

Frequentis Theatre

Antonio Strano Chiara Conti

Event info

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies, Innovation to Enable Future Skies, Seamless Skies for All

Innovation in Air Traffic Management is defined by how effectively we share information. This talk highlights LEONARDO’s recent milestone in validating OLDI modernization over SWIM Yellow Profile within the SESAR framework, in collaboration with EUROCONTROL, BULATSA and ROMATSA, with cross-border connectivity to Türkiye.
This solution provides a standardized, high-performance environment for real-time data exchange with sub-second data sharing across EUROCONTROL and three ANSPs. It demonstrates a practical first step toward Network TBO, supporting the SESAR Deployment Manager, EUROCONTROL’s Network Strategy, and 4D Trajectory vision, while paving the way for more advanced trajectory-driven operations in a digitalized European airspace.

Subject areas

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Seamless Skies for All

10:00am

10:25am

From Nuisance to Systemic Risk: Measuring GNSS Interference Severity and Enabling Alternative Navigation

Wing Theatre

Stephen Vance

Event info

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) interference has moved from a sporadic anomaly to a systemic operational risk for global aviation. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Air Transport Association (IATA), International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA), European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and EUROCONTROL (European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation) now identify GNSS disruption as a top-tier safety and resilience concern. Industry analysis, such as that published by OPSGROUP (International Flight Operations organisation), reports a multi-fold increases in aviation GNSS interference events since 2022. In several regions, aircraft experience GNSS degradation, corruption, or complete loss on a near-daily basis, affecting en-route, terminal, and airport surface operations.

Airlines and Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) report frequent loss of Required Navigation Performance (RNP) capability, intermittent or complete loss of GNSS-based surveillance, increased flight crew workload, and reduced operational predictability, particularly during periods of elevated geopolitical tension. OPSGROUP and other industry analyses also highlight that many events remain under-reported or inconsistently classified, limiting the ability of regulators, ANSPs, and operators to assess true exposure, trend severity, or justify mitigations. Airports, heliports, and emerging drone and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations face an even greater challenge, with increasing dependence on GNSS-based procedures and little or no continuous radio-frequency spectrum monitoring.

This presentation demonstrates how CGI addresses this gap through a global network of hundreds of continuously operating GNSS monitoring sensors, delivering persistent, aircraft-independent measurement of interference strength, duration, frequency, and geographic extent using CGI SignalSense. Unlike pilot reports or aircraft-only data, SignalSense provides 24/7 situational awareness, including when aircraft are not flying, enabling objective severity scoring, trend analysis, and historical evidence aligned with ICAO Annex 10 (Aeronautical Telecommunications), Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) guidance, and resilient Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) frameworks. CGI SignalSense therefore provides enhanced situational awareness beyond conventional Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) monitoring maps as performance is provided in locations where aircraft are not flying and can attribute the source to suitable accuracy inform international response to sustained jamming or spoofing impacting the Aerospace sector.

The session also introduces a CGI Android-based GNSS interference detection application designed for airline or airport use. Deployed on commercial off-the-shelf mobile devices which can be carried on board, the application passively detects and characterises GNSS jamming and spoofing effects experienced by the aircraft, providing time-stamped, indications of disruption. When correlated with fixed point SignalSense monitoring, this aircraft-side evidence helps airlines and ANSPs distinguish localised cockpit effects from wider-area interference, improving event classification, operational awareness, and post-event analysis, without interfacing with certified avionics.

CGI will further outline how objective monitoring data supports earlier pilot warning and decision-making, as well as resilient navigation strategies. This includes the safe and informed use of emerging alternative navigation (Alt-Nav) methods, such as visual-based navigation / terrain feature map matching, inertial augmentation, and emerging Low Earth Orbit (LEO)-based PNT services, by clearly characterising when GNSS is degraded, denied, or unreliable.

Attendees will see how this data:

Complements pilot reports and crew observations with objective, aircraft-independent and aircraft-side GNSS interference evidence
Combines fixed monitoring networks and mobile detection tools to improve event detection, classification, and operational confidence
Supports ANSP tactical and strategic decision-making, including procedure design, contingency planning, and managed degradation of PBN operations
Informs airline operational risk assessments, Operations Control Centre (OCC) decision-making, route planning, and crew guidance during GNSS disruption
Provides objective inputs to support the adoption of alternative navigation methods by defining when GNSS-based navigation can no longer be relied upon and when validated alternatives may be appropriate
Integrates with Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) and OCC workflows, enabling consistent situational awareness across flight crews, dispatch, and operations
Can be deployed at airports, heliports, and drone ports to strengthen crewed and uncrewed aviation operations in GNSS-degraded environments

Why attend:
This session positions GNSS interference monitoring not as a technical curiosity, but as a foundational resilience aerospace capability, providing the evidence needed to manage GNSS disruption, enable alternative navigation methods responsibly, and transform fragmented reports into actionable intelligence and operational continuity.

Subject areas

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

10:30am

10:55am

Leveraging ATM-grade networks expertise into the Future Communication Infrastructure

Frequentis Theatre

Agnès Roegel Zlatko Havlovic

Event info

Subject areas

10:30am

10:55am

Today’s Scaled BVLOS Operations: An Operator Conversation on Pathways and Risks

Wing Theatre

Alan Hicks Matthew Satterley Praveen Raju

Event info

Drone delivery is no longer an experiment—it is a rapidly scaling commercial reality. Join for a discussion between two operators delivering at increasing scale in parallel paths in Europe and the US. What is the current snapshot of drone delivery demand? What limitations in concepts of operations are operators facing today? How do we act quickly to maintain and expand a market now, and not later? From shifting regulatory mindsets and community acceptance to the massive market opportunities waiting to be unlocked this year, this session dives into the immediate opportunities for expanding the drone economy today—not tomorrow. Short presentations will be followed by panel and audience Q&A.

Subject areas

10:30am

10:55am

Advanced Air Mobility High Resolution Weather Requirements

Integra Theatre

Gabriele Enea Jordan Cohen

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies, Drones & UTM

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) encompasses a range of technological changes that are transforming aviation. The scale, range, and altitude of AAM operations imply that weather will play differently to its role in conventional aviation as there will be increased impacts from dynamic conditions in the planetary boundary layer. Therefore, there is the need for additional weather sensing and higher resolution weather models to be integrated with advanced decision support technologies. This joint presentation between MIT Lincoln Laboratory and SkyGrid will discuss how high resolution weather forecast (HRF) models can be used for AAM operation planning. Moreover, some progress towards identifying industry-specific weather requirements for AAM operations leveraging high-resolution models will be presented.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Drones & UTM

10:30am

10:55am

Implementing Model-Based Safety Analysis (MBSA) in Air Traffic Management (ATM) Safety Studies: A SimfiaNeo Demonstrator for Exhaustive and Automated Safety Analysis

Viasat Theatre

Thibault Beaumont

Event info

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

This session will present a project focused on the implementation of the Model-Based Safety Analysis (MBSA) methodology for Air Traffic Management (ATM) safety studies, leveraging the SimfiaNeo tool. We will showcase a demonstrator model developed for an ATM system within the tool.

The core advantage of this approach lies in SimfiaNeo’s ability to perform an in-depth analysis of the system and the propagation of failures within it. The traditional methodology relies on fault trees, requiring the safety engineer to manually imagine all potential failure scenarios. This manual process is inherently time-consuming and error-prone. Conversely, SimfiaNeo exhaustively and automatically analyzes all failure propagation paths that can lead to a failure condition.

Furthermore, MBSA and SimfiaNeo provide benefits that extend beyond mere time and cost efficiency. By being integrated with the design, the safety model provides a more concrete approach than a classic fault tree. This proximity to the system design significantly facilitates exchanges with both design teams and operational personnel, which in turn accelerates system adoption and technical discussions. The model itself therefore becomes a powerful presentation and communication support tool.

The objective is to highlight and showcase the significant advantages of this approach and the specific gains offered by a dedicated tool like SimfiaNeo in ATM safety assessments, leading to improvements in both rigor and efficiency.

Subject areas

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

11:00am

11:50am

CANSO Innovation: Shaping the ICAO Minimum Implementation Path

Integra Theatre

Apollin Komguem Magni Carol Teo David Batchelor Eduardo García, PhD Giancarlo Buono Olga de Frutos Martin

Event info

At the last ICAO Assembly, ICAO was tasked with developing the Minimum Implementation Path (MIP) as part of the Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP). The objective is to identify a pragmatic set of minimum capabilities, along with associated global implementation timelines, necessary to support the safe and interoperable evolution of the air navigation system.
Building on the Basic Building Block (BBB) and the Aviation System Block Upgrade (ASBU) frameworks, the MIP aims to help States and regions prioritise investments, accelerate implementation and address key performance gaps while ensuring that no country is left behind.
As work on the MIP is just getting underway, this panel will bring together leaders from ICAO, ANSPs and industry to share early perspectives, explore how the MIP could support global modernization efforts, and discuss how the GANP can continue evolving to support the future of air traffic management.

Subject areas

11:00am

11:50am

Automated Flight Rules (AFR): Enabling Scalable Urban Air Mobility

Boeing Theatre

Ben Ivers Erick Corona Matthew Land

Event info

As Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and increasingly automated aircraft move closer to commercial operations, aviation must evolve beyond today’s human-centric flight rules to safely support high-density, highly automated operations.
This session explores the Concept of Operations for Automated Flight Rules (AFR), a proposed new operating paradigm designed to complement existing Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). AFR leverages automation across aircraft, airspace, and aerodromes through advanced traffic management, digital communications, integrated detect-and-avoid systems, and automated decision-making.
Panelists will discuss how AFR can enable scalable Urban Air Mobility operations, increase airspace efficiency, support both crewed and uncrewed aircraft, and lay the foundation for the next era of safe, automated aviation.

Subject areas

11:00am

11:50am

CANSO Leadership Conversation: The Next Generation of ATM, Where Technology Meets Talent and Diversity

Viasat Theatre

Benjamin Binet Friedrich-Wilhelm Menge Major General Cyro André Cruz Marie-Pier Berman Micilia Albertus-Verboom Vincenzo Smorto

Event info

As automation, digitalisation, and new operational models reshape air traffic management, the industry is entering a new era where technology and people must evolve together. This C-level panel will explore how innovation is transforming talent pipelines, redefining skills and roles, and influencing talent acquisition, organisational culture and leadership models. The discussion will focus on how organisations can anticipate emerging competencies, attract and develop the next generation of aviation professionals, and build resilient, adaptive cultures that enable people and technology to thrive side by side. Ultimately, this conversation will examine how to harness transformation as a human journey, empowering new capabilities and preparing the aviation ecosystem for the challenges and opportunities of the next decade.

Subject areas

11:00am

11:50am

The benefits of Common Project 1 deployment in Europe

Frequentis Theatre

Carlos Passos Heiko Teper Ralph Schwarzendahl

Event info

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies, Seamless Skies for All, Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

As Europe accelerates its journey toward a smarter, more sustainable and more interoperable air traffic management system, the implementation of Common Project 1 (CP1) stands at a decisive moment.
In this session, the SESAR Deployment Manager will unpack how CP1 deployment is already shaping operational performance across the continent—enhancing predictability, supporting greener trajectories, and reinforcing network resilience—while offering a forward-looking view of what comes next.
This session will give ATM professionals a clear, compelling picture of the tangible value CP1 brings to European aviation. Attendees will gain insights into lessons learned, opportunities emerging from synchronised implementation, and the strategic role CP1 plays in Europe’s broader digitalisation and decarbonisation ambitions.
Designed to spark dialogue and prepare the ground for deeper exchanges throughout Airspace World 2026, this session provides an essential update for anyone involved in shaping the future of European ATM.

Subject areas

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

Seamless Skies for All

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

11:00am

11:25am

Beyond Legacy and Lock-In: An ANSP’s Journey to an Open ATM Platform

Wing Theatre

Marco Rueckert Steve Anderson

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

For decades, critical airside and air traffic management operations have relied on legacy technologies that delivered reliability—but at a significant cost. Data became fragmented, interoperability was limited, and both airports and ANSPs grew increasingly dependent on a small number of vendors. As operational needs evolved, change was often slow, complex, and expensive—constrained more by architectural rigidity than by operational ambition.
Today, the industry is once again in a period of transformation. Digitalisation, automation, and data-driven operations are central to future performance. “Platforms” are widely promoted as the solution. Yet many proprietary platforms risk recreating the same structural limitations of the past, this time with modern interfaces and new terminology.
In this joint session, NATS and Searidge share how the UK’s ANSP has adopted an open, platform-based ATM architecture to break this cycle. The speakers will explain why legacy approaches are no longer sufficient, what is driving the move to an open platform model, and how this shift is enabling greater flexibility, resilience, and innovation.
Using real-world examples, the session will demonstrate how a shared digital foundation supports faster deployment, improved situational awareness, and new operational services.
Attendees will gain practical insight into what defines a strong ATM platform, why ANSPs should own their foundational architecture, and how this approach supports NATS’ long-term vision for future UK tower operations.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

11:30am

11:55am

Digitalisation and the CNS Technical Workforce: Through-life Performance Management and Closing the Capability Gap in Radar Surveillance

Wing Theatre

Darren Gillam

Event info

People, Skills & Next-Gen

Digitalisation promises measurable gains in safety, efficiency, and lifecycle traceability across Air Traffic Management (ATM), particularly in the Communication Navigation Surveillance (CNS) domain. Yet the transition from analogue to digital—preceded by decades of digitisation—has also introduced an unintentional capability gap in the CNS technical workforce.
While modern systems deliver higher reliability, signal processing performance, and comprehensive Built In Test Equipment (BITE), sensor embedded monitoring alone cannot assure performance across the full coverage volume or under varying environmental conditions.
This discussion highlights the need for a harmonised, measurement driven approach that couples organisation wide digitalisation with independent performance monitoring, standardized methodologies, and renewed fundamentals based training. Drawing on operational practice and standards (e.g., ICAO Doc 8071 and ATSEP guidance), we show how global statistics (e.g., Pd and azimuth bias) can mask local performance shortfalls that directly affect separation minima. We outline a framework that integrates unified measurement and analysis toolsets from product qualification, factory testing, commissioning and through life monitoring, with centralized, time stamped data for traceability, multi-stakeholder support, and a proactive and predictive maintenance regime.
Case examples using Intersoft Electronics Surveillance Monitoring System (SMS) and Radar Analysis Support System (RASS) illustrate how sensor systems, including legacy, can be performance tracked and re-baselined to meet modern performance targets, and how emerging techniques (e.g., drone based measurements) can accelerate compliance while reducing cost.
For the industry, a standardised measurement and enhanced training framework—aligned to international standards—can strengthen safety assurance, restore and uplift knowledge, and ensure that digitalisation enhances, rather than further erodes, CNS technical expertise.

Subject areas

People, Skills & Next-Gen

12:00pm

12:25pm

Aireon Space-Based VHF – A Global Perspective

Viasat Theatre

Michael Garcia

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies, Seamless Skies for All

Aireon will present updates to its strategic plan and assessments for Space-Based VHF. Aireon currently operates the only continuously global and safety-certified Space-Based ADS-B service that integrates with over 25 CANSO ANSPs. Leveraging this experience and its partnership with Iridium, Aireon seeks to expand its offerings to include VHF services in its next satellite constellation. Additionally, Aireon will describe the safety approach that was applied similarly to its current EASA certification. This presentation will include Aireon’s global perspective on the analysis and planning it has conducted for SB-VHF and continue to gather inputs from the community on the approach.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Seamless Skies for All

12:00pm

12:50pm

Where advanced engineering meets a human-centric vision for tomorrow’s services

Frequentis Theatre

Anne Senechal Christophe Rouquié David Elmalem Klaus Meier Meriem Oubelkass Thibaud Figueroa

Event info

People, Skills & Next-Gen, Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Technology is aggressively redefining the boundaries of what can be built and operated within Air Traffic Management (ATM) software and services. We are witnessing a fundamental paradigm shift: while humans have traditionally built and operated systems with machines serving as passive verifiers, a new era is emerging. In this model, Generative AI (GenAI) and automated systems take on the heavy lifting of production and operations, empowering human experts to ascend to a higher-level role: controlling and optimizing system-wide performance.
The core of this is simple yet transformative: The more machines operate, the more humans can elevate performance.
This shift raises critical questions for the industry:
Autonomous Production: Can GenAI autonomously translate complex requirements into natural language into prototypes, components, and ready-to-use ATC system code?
Certification & Standards: What new certification frameworks are required to validate AI-generated code in a safety-critical environment and to be securely deployed in cloud infrastructure?
Sovereignty: How can we leverage generic European technology, control depedencies and institutional guarantees to fulfill certification requirements at a lower cost and within a shorter timeframe?
This talk explores the value of “technology-driven crafting.” With Cloud, AI, and data architectures reaching maturity, the capability to accelerate ATM modernization through GenAI-produced code is no longer a theoretical exercise—it is a matter of adoption and integration at scale. We will discuss how moving toward open architectures and AI-driven code production creates a human-centric service orientation that is faster, more resilient, and ready for the next generation of airspace.

Subject areas

People, Skills & Next-Gen

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

12:00pm

12:50pm

CATRes: Advancing Our Understanding of Disruption and Resilience

Boeing Theatre

Max Li Wayne Hubbard

Event info

Policy, Regulation & Governance, People, Skills & Next-Gen, Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies, Innovation to Enable Future Skies, Seamless Skies for All, Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

The Center for Air Transportation Resilience (CATRes), a NASA University Leadership Initiative, conducts data-driven research to strengthen the resilience of the air transportation system. CATRes is led by academic researchers from University of California, Berkeley; University of Michigan; University of Pennsylvania; and the University of Maryland, in close collaboration with industry partners (airlines, airport authorities) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This presentation provides a technical overview of ongoing CATRes research, including cluster analyses of historical disruptions, generative models for synthetic disruption training, and airline–air traffic collaborative optimization. Now in its second year, CATRes has made substantial technical progress; we will dive deep into results most relevant to airline operations and system resilience.

Subject areas

Policy, Regulation & Governance

People, Skills & Next-Gen

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Seamless Skies for All

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

12:00pm

12:50pm

Driving AAM Growth through Data

Wing Theatre

Erick Corona Marco Rueckert Mark Balsdon Rob Weaver

Event info

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Made up of key players, including OEM’s, air traffic managers, UTM/U-space solution providers and vertiport developers, this expert panel will reveal how data, common interfaces and aligned architecture enables operational models that are key to enabling safe automation and reliable performance, while creating a compelling commercial business case to attract investors.

The session will cover how digital ATM capabilities currently make airspace safer and more efficient and explore how the use of dynamic airspace and network management, real-time deconfliction can aid high intensity operations, enabling the lower airspace economy.

Attendees will learn how data and collaboration are key to unlocking faster growth for AAM, building confidence for regulators, creating opportunities for investors.

Subject areas

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

12:00pm

12:25pm

CANSO Operations: From Guidance to Action: Delivering Operational Impact through CANSO OSC Publications

Integra Theatre

Clint Morrow Giuseppe Romano Lakisha Price Lisa Bee Maartje van der Helm Stuart Ratcliffe

Event info

This session will showcase how CANSO Operations Standing Committee (OSC) publications are translating global priorities into practical, implementable solutions, delivering tangible benefits across resilience, sustainability, and operational efficiency.
Hear directly from the champions behind each publication as they highlight what it is, why it matters, and how it can be applied in today’s operational environment.
The session will feature insights on:
• Global Navigation Satellite System Interference: Jamming and Spoofing
• Considerations for Managing Space Operations
• Collaborative Solutions to Mitigating Contrails within Air Traffic Management
• Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) Toolkit: A Reference for ANSP
• Greenhouse Gas Inventory Guide: Best Practices
Together, these publications demonstrate how collaborative, industry driven guidance is enabling ANSPs to address today’s most pressing challenges while preparing for the future of aviation.

Subject areas

12:30pm

12:55pm

From Qualitative to Quantitative Risk Assessment: Operationalising High-Resolution, National-Scale Airspace Characterisation

Viasat Theatre

Aaron McFadyen David Cole

Event info

Policy, Regulation & Governance, Innovation to Enable Future Skies, Drones & UTM

As airspace systems evolve to accommodate drones, advanced air mobility and increasingly diverse aviation activity, traditional approaches to airspace safety and access are reaching their limits. Regulatory and operational decisions are often still based on qualitative judgement and static classifications, limiting the ability to assess risk consistently, transparently and at scale.

This joint presentation by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), its project partners (Boeing and FlyFreely), and Aireon presents a data-driven framework that enables airspace collision risk to be assessed in a consistent, repeatable and operationally meaningful way across national airspace systems. Developed through the government-funded Australian Digital Airspace Characterisation (ADAC) project and based on more than four years of development, the approach represents a shift from descriptive airspace categorisation to quantified, spatially resolved risk assessment.

At the core of the framework are data-driven and data-informed probabilistic collision risk models for regions with good and limited surveillance coverage, respectively. Collision risk is quantified at fine spatial and temporal scales using a combination of established and novel aviation risk modelling techniques, innovative data management approaches, and high-performance computing. Risk metrics are visualised using standard geographic information systems and custom online applications, in a manner that is interpretable and customisable for regulatory, operational and policy decision-making. Crucially, this approach provides a bridge between quantitative analysis and qualitative judgement, supporting defensible, evidence-based and unbiased risk categorisation across most airspace environments.

The presentation will highlight the unique and distinguishing features of these models compared to existing approaches, before focusing on national-scale results and real-world case study applications with additional partners. It will demonstrate how robust, quantitative, high-resolution risk models can support a wide range of applications for uncrewed aviation (for example, risk-based assessments and approvals), crewed aviation (such as airspace change assessment, safety intervention prioritisation and evaluation of emerging operational concepts), as well as policy and regulatory development.

This collaboration illustrates how research capability and operational surveillance infrastructure can be combined to move from analysis to implementation at high technology readiness levels. While demonstrated in an Australian context, the underlying framework is jurisdiction-agnostic and can be adapted to other national and regional airspace systems by adjusting data inputs, thresholds and governance settings.

Subject areas

Policy, Regulation & Governance

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Drones & UTM

12:30pm

12:55pm

Weathering the storm: How innovative capacity and weather-based procedures are reducing delays and boost resilience in the pan-European network

Integra Theatre

Yolanda Portillo

Event info

Seamless Skies for All, Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

Severe weather and capacity constraints have long been major disruptors for Europe’s air traffic network, but new solutions are changing the game. Yolanda Portillo, Head of the EUROCONTROL Network Manager Operations Centre will share insights on how the EUROCONTROL Network Manager – together with aviation partners – has introduced innovative capacity and weather-based procedures that significantly improved operational stability and performance in Summer 2025. Pre-agreed rerouting scenarios applied under the scope of a well-established Cooperative Decision-Making (CDM) process have become a key enabler for safe, efficient, and predictable operations across the network. By limiting last-minute changes and reducing volatility, this stable operational framework allows both airspace users and service providers to plan with greater confidence and to optimise the use of available capacity, resulting in cutting en-route delays by 31% and slashing weather-related delays by an impressive 41% compared to the previous summer. The presentation will also include an update on the evolution of the procedures for summer 2026.

Subject areas

Seamless Skies for All

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

1:00pm

1:25pm

Clear Skies, Controlled Clouds: Building secure cloud foundations for regulated aviation systems

Integra Theatre

Daniel Rajčan Samuel Hopko

Event info

Aviation technology is becoming more cloud-enabled, automated and software-driven, but in regulated and mission-critical environments, cloud adoption is not only about speed. It is about control, security, resilience, documentation and operational trust.
In this session, Samuel Hopko, and Daniel Rajčan of Plectrum Engineering, will share practical lessons from building secure cloud foundations in regulated environments. The talk will explore common challenges aviation technology teams face when adopting cloud, DevOps and platform engineering practices, from hybrid infrastructure and automation to security, observability and evidence.
The session will also look at the importance of making the right technology decisions early. Some technologies can look attractive, but may introduce additional layers of operational complexity, compliance effort and long-term maintenance that are not always visible during initial solution design. The same pragmatic view applies to emerging areas such as AI, where innovation needs to be balanced with governance, safety, trust and real operational value.
The audience will gain a practical view of what a controlled cloud foundation should look like for aviation systems, and how cloud engineering can help teams modernise while keeping their environments secure, operable and trusted.

Subject areas

1:00pm

1:25pm

Mitigate warming contrails and non-CO2, where are we?

Frequentis Theatre

Philippe MASSON

Event info

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

The session will develop the evaluation of operational mitigation options for Contrails and non-CO2 emissions reduction.
The CICONIA project is arriving to an end in 2026, this session will provide insight of evaluation exercises and trials.

Subject areas

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

1:00pm

1:25pm

Drones & UTM in Africa: Building a Scalable, Secure and Inclusive Airspace – The Nigerian Blueprint”

Wing Theatre

Charlotte Essiet

Event info

Title: Drones & UTM in Africa: The Nigerian Blueprint for a Secure, Scalable and Inclusive Digital Airspace

Africa is entering a new phase of airspace evolution driven by rapid drone adoption across energy, security, logistics, and public-sector operations. Yet many African states face a unique challenge: integrating thousands of unmanned aircraft into airspace systems originally built for manned aviation. This session introduces The Nigerian UTM Blueprint : a practical, deployment-tested model for building digital airspace infrastructure that is resilient, secure, and scalable in low-resource and high-demand environments.

Drawing from ELINT SYSTEMS’ pioneering work with regulators, ANSPs, security agencies, and industry partners, the session will explore how African states can accelerate drone integration while protecting national sovereignty. Key themes include regulatory harmonisation, UTM–C-UAS interoperability, data governance, public–private collaboration, and the economic potential of indigenous UTM service providers.

This session is designed for policymakers, ANSPs, innovators, and global partners seeking to understand how emerging markets can leapfrog legacy aviation constraints and build future-ready airspace systems.

Subject areas

1:00pm

1:25pm

Is ICAO Doc 4444 Still Fit for Purpose? Updating Wake Turbulence Provisions for Today’s Airspace

Viasat Theatre

Victoria G Alcaraz Ortega

Event info

Other

Doc 4444 was designed to provide globally harmonized procedures, and in many respects it does that very well. However, wake turbulence is treated in a relatively contained and time-based way, reflecting the operational environment and knowledge available when those provisions were developed.

Today’s airspace looks very different. We have denser traffic, mixed aircraft performance, enhanced surveillance, and a much better understanding of wake vortex behaviour. As a result, many States now manage wake turbulence as a dynamic operational hazard, rather than purely as a separation minimum.

The question, then, is not whether Doc 4444 is wrong, but whether its wake turbulence provisions still reflect how wake turbulence is actually managed in modern airspace, and whether they should evolve to better support contemporary operations.

Subject areas

Other

1:00pm

1:50pm

CANSO Operations: Education & Digital Transformation: Demystifying TBO – From Concept to Implementation

Boeing Theatre

Blake Cushnie Lisa Bee Nicki Harricharan Sherry Yang

Event info

This interactive live recording session, marking the launch of a new educational webinar series, will set the foundation for understanding one of aviation’s key digital transformation concepts: Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO).
Led by industry experts and the CANSO Operations Programme’s TBO Readiness Taskforce Chairs, the session will move beyond terminology and buzzwords to clearly explain what TBO means in practice, how it connects with operational concepts, what its building blocks are, and why it is critical to enabling a more connected, data driven, and collaborative airspace.
Through practical discussion, the session will bridge the gap between concept and implementation, providing a clear baseline understanding that will be expanded upon in future webinars.

Subject areas

1:30pm

1:55pm

Does consultancy have a future in ATM?

Integra Theatre

Michael Niels Thorsen

Event info

I have now had more than 30 years of experience providing consultancy services to various players in the aviation industry, and it has been an interesting journey. During this journey, I have seen the entire industry changes drastically in all respects, with changes in the overall governance of the industry, different programmes starting with the EACHIP programme and now SES 2+, new technologies, an industrial landscape that has changed during this period, changes in airspace users, and, very importantly, the significant increase in the maturity of many of the actors in the industry, who have become more mature and capable. This development has placed new requirements on consultancy companies providing services to ANSPs, NSAs, European Commission, and other actors in the industry. Now, the question I often ask myself is whether we as consultants have adapted to this new environment, or whether we are becoming a blocking factor for innovation and creativity.

Subject areas

1:30pm

1:55pm

Data4Safety: European collaborative data-driven safety Intelligence - an ANSP Perspective

Frequentis Theatre

Chris Jeeves David Morales Núria Alsina Pujol

Event info

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM, Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

The Data4Safety initiative, led by EASA, continues to transform aviation safety across Europe by setting new benchmarks in collaborative, data‑driven safety intelligence. This ambitious programme unites Member States (National Aviation Authorities) and industry stakeholders—air operators, ATM organisations, aircraft manufacturers, and now more actively Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs)—in an unprecedented effort to identify and mitigate systemic safety risks. Through advanced analytics and large‑scale data integration, Data4Safety enables the aviation sector to take a proactive, intelligence‑led approach to strengthening safety performance.
At the heart of this initiative lies a cutting‑edge data platform developed by Paradigma Digital and ALG. Engineered to process over 500 terabytes of diverse aviation data, the platform leverages state‑of‑the‑art cloud technologies to deliver advanced analytics, predictive safety models, and systemic risk detection capabilities. This modern infrastructure underpins safety benchmarking, vulnerability assessment, and in‑depth studies, generating actionable insights that support decision‑making across all segments of the industry.
This year, the programme expands its impact through deeper collaboration with ANSPs, whose operational expertise provides critical context for understanding real‑world risk dynamics in European airspace. By contributing their data, perspective, and domain knowledge, ANSPs help enhance the granularity and operational relevance of Data4Safety insights—closing the loop between safety intelligence and day‑to‑day traffic management practices.

Subject areas

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

Collaborative Operations for Sustainable Skies

1:30pm

1:55pm

Human Expertise, AI Support: Unlocking Real Operational Value in ATM

Wing Theatre

Abdul Musawwer

Event info

People, Skills & Next-Gen, Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM, Seamless Skies for All, Innovation to Enable Future Skies

Air traffic controllers have long operated at the limits of human cognitive performance through simultaneously managing separation assurance, trajectory anticipation, traffic sequencing, inter-sector coordination, and time-critical decision-making under uncertainty. While artificial intelligence has transformed many areas of aviation, its benefits have yet to be consistently realized in everyday air traffic management operations.
This session will demonstrate how that gap can be closed by positioning AI as practical decision support rather than as a replacement for human expertise. The focus is on AI capabilities designed to reduce cognitive load, enhance situational awareness, and support controllers incrementally within existing workflows. Emphasis is placed on solutions that are operationally validated, transparent, and scalable beyond a limited number of high-investment initiatives.
The session will highlight concrete operational applications, including earlier conflict prediction with actionable resolution options, improved demand–capacity balancing and sector load forecasting, smarter AMAN/DMAN sequencing to reduce delays, and trajectory and route optimization to lower fuel burn and CO₂ emissions. Additional use cases include anomaly detection to strengthen safety nets and digital-twin simulations to support controller training and procedural validation. The lessons learned while coding and developing AI and LLM–based capabilities for air traffic management automation systems will also be shared in this session.
The central message is clear: when AI delivers measurable, usable, and trustworthy capability directly within the controller’s workflow, it becomes a genuine operational enabler for the ATC community.

Subject areas

People, Skills & Next-Gen

Safety, Security & Resilience in ATM

Seamless Skies for All

Innovation to Enable Future Skies

1:30pm

1:55pm

Accelerating Autonomous AAM

Viasat Theatre

David Oord

Event info

Subject areas

The place to catch up on all things Airspace world.

Features

Igniting a passion for aviation

Getting ready for space traffic management

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Igniting a passion for aviation

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Getting ready for cybersecurity regulations

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On the road to virtualisation

New competition for airspace means new rules

The Urban Air Traffic Management Concept

EagleShield – CUAS for Airports- UAS fast detection & identification a must

Faster drone flight approvals with FREQUENTIS automated risk assessment tool in Lithuania

People are our strength

Reflections on a super Tuesday

Don’t waste a Wednesday at Airspace World

Airspace world Today

Igniting passion for aviation

Getting ready for cybersecurity regulations

Preparing for new airspace users

On the road to virtualisation

New competition for airspace means new rules

The Urban Air Traffic Management Concept

EagleShield – CUAS for Airports- UAS fast detection & identification a must

Faster drone flight approvals with FREQUENTIS automated risk assessment tool in Lithuania

People are our strength

Reflections on a super Tuesday

Don’t waste a Wednesday at Airspace World

Press Releases

NAV CANADA joins the iTEC Alliance to foster more efficient and sustainable aviation

FREQUENTIS X10 prepares Luxembourg Airport for future-ready voice communications

Leidos establishes Air Traffic Management Center of Excellence in Indo-Pacific Region

SkeyDrone honored at Air Traffic Management Awards 2023 for Drone Detection solution

GoDrone 2.0 – Drone Flight Planning App gets a new look!

SeRo Systems awarded EUROCONTROL contract for1030/1090 MHz data collection service

Faster drone flight approvals with FREQUENTIS automated risk assessment tool in Lithuania

NATS crowned a winner at the prestigious Air Traffic Management Awards

DFS Aviation Services and SITA revolutionize Air Traffic Management with new AMAN/DMAN solution

Spanish ENAIRE extends FREQUENTIS contingency communication and maintenance project for up to 12 years

Adacel awarded new FAA contract for TSS System Software and Support

Theatre Highlights

Highlighted speakers

Agenda

Unable, due airspace constraints: why ATM must expedite a radical transformation of airspace management

ATHENIAN Project Redesigns Athens TMA with Performance-Based Navigation: A collaborative initiative for modernizing airspace operations with operational and environmental benefits.

D-FLIGHT - first year as certified USSP

A6 Alliance: Strategic Vision & European ATM Transformation

Trajectory Based Operations for Sustainable Aviation

CANSO Leadership Conversation: ATM Modernisation Across Diverse Fiscal Models

Safety-Assured AI for Airport Surface Ops: From Early-Warning Safety Intelligence to Modular ATC Automation

Enabling Scalable Urban Air Mobility Through Automated Flight Rules

Agentic Airspace: From Predictive Tools to Autonomous Negotiation

Digitalisation as key element in SESAR ATM modernisation

FF-ICE: Are you ready for 2034 ?

How to integrate eVTOLs at Munich Airport

E-conspicuity: Supporting a safe, integrated airspace with BVLOS operations at scale

A digital platform for scalable, secure and future ready air traffic management

Cutting the ATM systems in pieces – accelerating innovation to enable capacity growth

Uncork the Bottleneck: Elevate ATC Training from Subjective Art to Data-Driven Science

From Concept to Clearance: Flight-Centric ATC Pre-Deployment Summary

The Iris Programme: From operational proof to a TBO roadmap in a scalable, connected sky.

From Critical Corridor to Competitive Advantage: How Kazakhstan is turning strategic airspace into a model for modern ATM

The role of the ATM sector in the strategic outlook of the European Aviation

Civil-Military Integration to Ensure Safe and Efficient Airspace

Deployment of U-space in Spain in 2026

U-space Rulemaking 2026: Closing the Implementation Gap

From Concept to Operations: ENAIRE’s TTM Operational Deployment as a Success Story

CANSO LAC: Airspace modernisation in Latin America and the Caribbean – A Regional Path Forward

CANSO Operations: From Complexity to Integration: Operationalizing Space Transport Operations in Shared Airspace

Resilient Skies: Securing the resilience of the pan-European network against emerging threats

A new era of surveillance - how the U.S. is modernizing its ATM infrastructure

EURIALO: Resilient ATM Surveillance from Space

Towards an ambitious EU Drone Strategy: Clearing the path to real operations

Advancing Resilience through Deployable Digital Tower Solutions