Europe’s ATM Masterplan – integrating drones and eVTOLs “will cost up to EUR2.9 billion”

The latest version of the European ATM Masterplan has been published today by the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) joint undertaking, setting out the roadmap and targets for European Union air traffic management digitisation and integration. U-space and eVTOL traffic management are integral parts of the roadmap.

A fully scalable system for crewed and uncrewed aviation (Phase D of the roadmap), supported by a digital ecosystem, full air-ground system integration, distributed data services and high levels of automation and connectivity should be completed by 2045. “The investment effort for the deployment of phase D between 2035 and 2045 is estimated at one third of all the cumulative investment needs (i.e. EUR 9.2 billion), in line with the assumptions made in the 2020 edition of the Master Plan. Approximately EUR 2.9 billion will be dedicated to U3 and U4 services; U-space service providers and drone operators are expected to be the major investors.”

According to the roadmap:

“By 2025, the first U-space airspace is established, the first U-space service provider (USSP) is certified, and the first common information service provider (CISP) designated and operations are beginning… By 2030, U-space U1 and U2 services will be implemented in Europe and the first IAM/VTOL capable aircraft (VCA) operations will be accommodated like any other rotorcraft operation. Significant progress will have been made on development priorities related to U3 and U4 services, such as enabling IAM/VCA (crewed and uncrewed) operations at scale, including in complex environments, congested portions of airspace and vertiports.”

“By 2035, a common ATM/U-space interface, dynamic airspace reconfiguration service and new GNSS-enabled procedures will be implemented to allow IAM users to operate to and from airports/vertiports and TMAs without conflicting with other traffic. By 2045, thanks to the implementation of U-space U3 and U4 services, as well as future en-route, TMA and airport platforms, ATM and U-space will enable the seamless integration of crewed and uncrewed vehicles in all classes of airspace.”