During a professional workshop held in the middle of November at the headquarters of HungaroControl, which provides air navigation services in Hungarian airspace and trains air navigation personnel, the program demonstrated the capabilities of solutions supporting continuous descent, the benefits of satellite-based arrival procedures, and the applicability of Remote Tower control in the vicinity of Budapest’s Ferenc Liszt International Airport, according to the press statement.

The total budget of the project is nearly EUR 2.5 million, funded 50% by the SESAR Joint Undertaking, the European public-private partnership that is managing the development phase of the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) program.

The six-member international consortium which performed the demonstration started to work together on the initiative by HungaroControl and Pildo Labs from Spain. The consortium included Wizz Air, JetStream, SLOT Consulting, and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia as its key members, LPS (the air navigation service provider of Slovakia) and Vueling as supporting members, and Budapest Airport as an observer. They tested innovations prioritized by SESAR and essential for efficient operations in European aviation in future, specifically aiming to introduce technological innovations and procedures that enhance the operational environment of small and medium-sized airports, and improve flight safety, cost-efficiency and environmental impact for both airlines and air navigation service providers.

The first pillar of the project was to develop arrival procedures to support continuous descent operations. The second pillar was to test a satellite-based arrival procedure, which provides pilots with navigation support to fly the exact glide path without the need for ground installations. The third pillar was to demonstrate usage of the Remote Tower air traffic control system with live traffic.

The results of the two-year program will soon be made available for stakeholders of the ATM industry, providing them with a solid basis for implementation of these solutions adapted to local requirements, the press statement noted.

Due to its state-of-the-art technology and developments and services, HungaroControl is a renowned service provider in international aviation, and an active regional initiator and co-operating partner of the European Union’s integration efforts under the Single European Sky, said the press release.

According to statistical data and forecasts from Eurocontrol, the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation, the number of flights in Europe is 10 million per annum, and this figure may even double in the next 20 years.