From 8–10 April, the 25th Integrated Communications, Navigation and Surveillance (ICNS) Conference took place in Brussels, marking the first time the event was hosted in Europe. Hosted jointly by EUROCONTROL, the SESAR Joint Undertaking (SESAR JU), and the SESAR Deployment Manager (SESAR DM), the 2025 edition highlighted the increasing global focus on advancing CNS technologies in support of a more efficient, safe, and connected airspace.

More than 350 participants from over 40 countries joined the three-day conference in person, while thousands more followed the plenary sessions online. The event provided a timely opportunity to reflect on international progress in CNS and its vital role in the evolution of air traffic management systems.

The event comes at a pivotal moment for Europe’s air traffic management system. The European ATM Master Plan recognises CNS as a key enabler of a digital and sustainable aviation ecosystem, and sets out strategic deployment objectives and development priorities for the coming years. A dedicated roadmap charts the milestones needed to ensure resilient, integrated and performance-based CNS infrastructure—delivered through a combination of SESAR research, validation and deployment activities. This roadmap is complemented by a CNS Evolution Plan, which is under development by the CNS Programme Manager function, executed by the Network Manager. The plan will provide more details on the modernisation of European CNS infrastructure, addressing how best to deploy strategic priorities defined in the ATM Master Plan. 

A highlight of the conference was the presentation of the 2025 ICNS Champion Award to Paul Bosman, Eurocontrol, in recognition of his exemplary contributions to CNS technologies and long-standing support to the ICNS community. The event also recognised best papers in the field, underlining the strength of ongoing research worldwide.

More about ICNS

More about ongoing SESAR CNS related projects

Find out more about what’s ahead for CNS in the European ATM Master Plan