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European Union funding instrument Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) has granted funding to the Eurocontrol Network Manager for Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) projects, Eurocontrol said. Now, 10 airports are set to implement SESAR concepts.
Eurocontrol said that two concepts have been designed to help airports handle local capacity: Airport Operations Centres (APOC) and the Airport Operations Plan (AOP). APOC manages an airport’s operations in both normal and exceptional conditions, Eurocontrol said. It’s a rolling plan, covering the pre-tactical and tactical phases by providing dynamic data updates as an operational situation evolves. AOP-Network Operations Plan integration improves the airport’s and the network’s operational performance, Eurocontrol said, due to timely two-way exchange of information between airports and the Network Manager. Exchanged information can also be shared with other airports, airspace users and air navigation service providers.
“Closer monitoring, combined with better fine-tuning of local processes and the earlier exchange of information in the network will help reduce delays, even with higher traffic levels,” Eurocontrol said. “Fuel burn and aircraft emissions will also diminish, so benefiting the environment.”
The 10 airports involved are:
- Frankfurt
- London Heathrow
- Paris Charles de Gaulle
- Paris Orly
- Amsterdam Schiphol
- Barcelona
- El Prat, Madrid
- Barajas
- Palma de Mallorca
- Brussels
- Stockholm Arlanda