Emma

EMMA (European airport Movement Management by A-SMGCS)

Mobility of goods and people is a basic need of the European Society in the age of sustainable growth and globalisation of the World economy. Air Transport and Aeronautics are seen as key assets for the future of Europe in order to meet needs of society and to win global leadership.

In this context, the airports are identified as the future bottlenecks of air transport. To this respect, Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control Systems (A-SMGCS) is seen as key R&D topic and is considered as the most promising way to achieve the necessary shift.

The European airport Movement Management by A-SMGCS (EMMA) project is performed within the EC VI Framework Programme with the aim to harmonise A-SMGCS implementation at European airports in the 2004 to 2009 timeframe by maturing and validating the A-SMGCS concept as an integrated air-ground system, seamlessly embedded in the overall ATM system and by setting de facto standards for A-SMGCS systems and their operational usage. The EMMA Consortium is setting this frame of consolidated accepted standards for operational and technical concept, procedures, safety and interoperability by joining forces of highest A-SMGCS excellence from industry, service providers and R&D centres. Extensive operational live trials proving the usefulness and completeness of the operational and technical requirements frame are performed at three different test sites (Milan-Malpensa, Toulouse-Blagnac, and Prague-Ruzyne) and form the basis for efficient A-SMGCS production and implementation throughout Europe in a time to market approach.

EMMA R&D activities cover two main aspects in coherence with the current step in the A-SMGCS implementation strategy:

• harmonisation and consolidation of Level 1 and 2 in terms of installed technology, procedures and regulations;
• preparation of Level 3 and 4 application in terms of onboard and ground functions development, active controllers & pilots involvement as well as technical and operational implementation preparation.

In a two-phase approach, EMMA 1 consolidated surveillance and conflict alert functions (A-SMGCS implementation Levels 1 and 2); EMMA 2 is now focusing on advanced onboard guidance support to pilots and route planning support to controllers (A-SMGCS implementation Level 3 and 4).

EMMA Partners: ENAV S.p.A. (Italia), DLR (Germany), AENA (Spain), Airbus France S.A.S (France), SELEX Sistemi Integrati S.p.A. (Italy), Air Navigation Service of the Czech Republic (CZ), DSNA (France), NLR (NL), Park Air Systems AS (Norway), Thales Air Traffic Management S.p.A. (Italy), Thales Avionics S.A. (France), Research Centre of the Athens University of Economics and Business (Greece), Prague Airport (Czech Republic), Diehl Aerospace GmbH (Germany), DFS GmbH (Germany), EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre, ERA a.s. (Czech Republic), EuroTelematik AG (Germany), SICTA (Italy), Technische Universitaet Darmstadt (Germany), Technische Universitaet Darmstadt (Germany), Sofreavia (France)

Download the publication “Projects & Activities” containing the project EMMA (.pdf)