The SESAR programme is organising a technical demonstration of initial 4D (i4D) trajectory management on 4 and 5 March 2014, as part of the World ATM Congress in Madrid. The demonstration will present a simulation of an i4D flight going from Toulouse in France through Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre airspace to Copenhagen in Denmark. This simulation is using multi-site validation capabilities and mirrors a real flight test scheduled for 19 March 2014, within the SESAR Programme validation activities.

Initial 4D or i4D is a cornerstone of the SESAR Programme as it is the first step towards more predictable flights and more efficient trajectories. The SESAR Programme aims at bringing to the point of readiness for deployment i4D trajectory management procedures and technologies in the European ATM system. Through SESAR, ANSPs, ground and airborne industries have come together and are in the process of validating the use of downlinked trajectories in a real ATM environment, demonstrating the benefits that can be achieved through the enhanced predictability of aircraft trajectories.

The demonstration will feature an overview of the work undertaken on the i4D within the Programme and will hear from SESAR member representatives from Airbus, Eurocontrol, Honeywell, Indra, NORACON and Thales who will present i4D operations from three perspectives: en-route, airborne, and approach and arrival.

The scenario presented in the demonstration echoes a flight test planned on 19 March 2014, within the SESAR Programme validation activities. Stay tuned for more on this important milestone in i4D and the SESAR Programme.