SESAR

Because environment matters

The aviation industry has made significant technological progress in the past four decades. As a consequence, noise from aircraft was reduced by 75% and emissions intensity by 70% . However, emissions from aviation currently account for about 3% of total EU greenhouse gas emissions, but they are increasing fast – by 87% since 1990 – as air traffic registered significant growth in the last years. But the environmental impact of aviation is not limited to global emissions. Air transport also has effects on local air quality or noise levels – especially around airports. The SESAR programme tackles all three of these to make flying more sustainable.

Green ATM

Environment & SESAR

Air traffic management affects when, how far, how high, how fast and how efficiently aircraft fly. These parameters in turn influence how much fuel an aircraft burns, the release of greenhouse and other gases from the engines and, of course, how much noise an aircraft emanates.

Currently, flight paths often follow set air corridors that make the route longer than necessary. On arrival at the destination the aircraft may have to circle in a holding pattern or descend in stages while awaiting a landing slot. All of these factors increase fuel consumption, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. SESAR technology will enable more direct flight paths and smooth descent and climb that will eliminate some of the main causes of avoidable waste.

Within the SESAR programme most out of the almost 300 projects include environmental aspects of aviation. They concern aircraft noise management and mitigation, aircraft fuel use and emissions management, as well as water pollution, etc. But environmental aspects are dealt with in all of the 16 work packages. The Joint Undertaking’s role is to establish environmental sustainability as an integral aspect of broader ATM development and operating processes.

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Partnership with AIRE programme

FAA The Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to Reduce Emissions (AIRE) is a programme designed to improve energy efficiency and lower engine emissions and aircraft noise in cooperation with the FAA. The SESAR JU is responsible for its management from a European perspective.

Under this initiative ATM stakeholders work collaboratively to perform integrated flight trials and demonstrations validating solutions for the reduction of CO2 emissions for surface, terminal and oceanic operations to substantially accelerate the pace of change.

The strategy is to produce constant step-wise improvements, to be implemented by each partner in order to contribute to reaching the common objective. The programme will be further expanded in 2010.

In 2009, the SESAR JU has conducted more than 1000 flight trials in real conditions with 18 partners: