Israel to join EU's SESAR project

SESAR officials invited Israel to join the project as a technology consultant. The new automated system would shorten individual flight journeys, reducing fuel use
 
The Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry said last Tuesday that Israel will join the development phase of the European Union's SESAR (Single European Sky ATM (air traffic management) Research) project.
 
SESAR is the European air traffic control infrastructure modernization program, which aims to develop a new generation air traffic management system capable of ensuring the safety and fluidity of air transport worldwide over the next 30 years.
 
SESAR officials invited Israel to join the project as a technology consultant. The Sesar project will overhaul current technologies used to keep planes at safe separations, and allow pilots to fly their own routes and altitudes. The new automated system would shorten individual flight journeys, reducing fuel use and pollution.
 
It is envisaged that future management of the skies will become increasingly automated, with advanced communication and computing technologies being used to optimize the flow of planes in the air. The development phase of the project, the second phase of the three-part project, will last for a period of five years and produce the required new generation of technological systems and components as defined in the definition phase of the project.
 
"This is very exciting for Israel as we are the first non-European country to participate in this important project," said Boaz Hirsch, director of the Foreign Trade Office in the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry.
 
"We feel that we can provide the EU with some of our technological advances in the air traffic control sector and will help further their project”.
 
Europe is to deploy the new 20bn-euro air traffic management system between 2014 and 2020.