Aviation leaders call for satellite-based technologies to tackle capacity crunch

Key aviation stakeholders gathered on 9 February at the European Parliament to discuss ways to tackle the airspace and airport capacity crunch in Europe, at the occasion of EBAA’s annual debate, sponsored by MEP MJ Marinescu (EPP, RO).
 
Panellists, from the European Parliament (Ines Ayala-Sender S&D, SP), European Commission (Paul Flament, Head of Unit for Galileo/EGNOS Programme, DG Grow), GSA (Gian-Gherardo Calini, Head of Market Development) and the Business Aviation Operators community, represented by Pascal Lhoest, Head of Flights Operations of NetJets Europe, stressed the urgent need to foster the development of satellite-based solutions. 
 
Some encouraging progress with respect to the implementation of GNSS applications were made by the panellists, including the deployment of 424 existing EGNOS-based procedures - out of target of 800 - at 288 European airports. Panellists applauded the publication of the Commission’s Space Strategy, calling for maximising the benefits of space for society and the EU economy.
 
Panellists also urged action to support the deployment of GNSS applications, and participants acknowledged the willingness of the European Parliament in this regard. “As a concrete action to foster full deployment of GNSS applications, ADS-B and EGNOS requirements for all aircraft could be introduced as from 2018 in the Annex II - Essential requirements for airworthiness of the EASA Basic Regulation,” said MEP MJ Marinescu.
 
EBAA CEO Fabio Gamba called for “an overall CNS Strategy (Navigation, Com, Surveillance), which includes a revision of the Single European Sky technical mandates”. In this regard, “EBAA is willing to pursue its cooperation with the GSA established under an MoU signed in 2014,” added Gamba. EBAA also reiterated its invitation to the Commission to publish a specific communication to foster the deployment of GNSS applications for aviation.