The CEO of AirNav Ireland, Dr. Peter Kearney has urged for continued collaboration between the EU and the aviation sector to enhance innovation for safety and climate efficiency. Welcoming Ms. Magda Kopczyńska, the European Commission’s Director-General for Mobility and Transport, to the Air Traffic Control Tower in Dublin, Dr. Kearney emphasised the potential for the Commission to foster ‘a unity of purpose’ in advancing technical solutions for air traffic safety and contributing to climate change mitigation efforts. Against the backdrop of up to 10.2 million flights in Europe last year, the Director-General and Dr. Kearney also discussed the European Air Traffic Management Master Plan, a roadmap for modernisation, and underscored the urgent need for a pan-European effort to attract talent across all sectors. As an active member of the SESAR JU, AirNav Ireland continues to advance the delivery of new technologies and procedures to support a smarter and more sustainable use of the airspace.
Commenting in the Control Tower at Dublin Airport, Peter Kearney said, ”Ireland has actively contributed to the development and implementation of innovations in partnership with our European counterparts. Initiatives like the SESAR* Joint Undertaking (JU) have leveraged technology to enhance flight management. Dublin has been one of the first in Europe to deploy Point Merge – implemented in December 2012, which streamlines the way in which aircraft are sequenced to land at Dublin Airport. Also, COOPANS* has empowered air traffic control operators with cutting-edge technology. Consequently, aircraft safety has improved, with faster travel times and reduced fuel costs and emissions achieved.”
Ms. Kopczyńska engaged with members of the air traffic control team in the tower and witnessed, firsthand, the SESAR solutions which are enhancing day-to-day operations. She commented, “It is fascinating to delve into how innovations, driven by SESAR, are truly transforming day-to-day operations. Collaborative efforts are crucial to ensure the aviation sector is future-ready and capable of meeting its critical climate objectives.”
The visit comes ahead of Transport Research Arena (TRA), Europe’s largest transport research and technology conference, taking place in Dublin and attracting 3,000 delegates, where innovations delivered by SESAR JU and its members, including AirNav Ireland will be on show.
The SESAR Joint Undertaking is an institutionalised European private-public partnership set up to accelerate through research and innovation the delivery of the Digital European Sky. The partnership is developing cutting-edge technological solutions to manage conventional aircraft, drones, air taxis and vehicles flying at higher altitudes. The SESAR JU partnership brings together the EU, Eurocontrol, and more than 50 organisations covering the entire aviation value chain.
COOPANS is an international successful partnership between the air navigation service providers of Austria (Austro Control), Croatia (Croatia Control), Denmark (Naviair), Ireland (AirNav Ireland), Portugal (NAV Portugal) and Sweden (LFV). Thales is a chosen supplier (industry partner). The COOPANS Alliance capitalises on joint, innovative and harmonised system development between members through industry partnership, and positively influencing the European environment to operate a world class, safe and cost-effective Air Traffic Management system, delivering efficient service to customers.
