Air Traffic Alliance and Boeing ATM agree to collaborate

The Air Traffic Alliance, a grouping of EADS, Airbus and Thales, and Boeing's Air Traffic Management (ATM) business unit will co-operate on issues affecting the interoperability of future air transport systems around the world so they can safely and efficiently handle projected long-term growth in aviation traffic.

Executives for Boeing and the Alliance stated that they have signed an agreement to work jointly towards accelerating existing air traffic modernisation efforts, foster new initiatives and jointly address issues affecting future global operational efficiency and safety. They further commented that their key objective is to accelerate the definition and adoption by international organisations and governments of new global standards and procedures that enable seamless, safe and efficient global operations.

"We have decided to join together in this important work because we are equally committed to increasing the safety, security, capacity and efficiency of the current air traffic management systems," said John Hayhurst, president of Boeing Air Traffic Management. "Achieving those goals is vitally important to the future of our industry as well as to global economic growth and prosperity.'

"With an estimated 100,000 flights a day and air traffic growing an average 5% a year, new and interoperable air transport systems are vital to ensuring continued safety and greater capacity in the decades to come. Globally interoperable systems are desired by all airspace users, who naturally want to be able to efficiently fly their aircraft to, from, and within different regions of the world, "said Lionnel Wonneberger, President of the Air Traffic Alliance. "We believe that the partnership between Boeing ATM and the Air Traffic Alliance, which is already closely cooperating with European Industry, is an important step to address key interoperability issues on both sides of the Atlantic. "

New interoperable ATM Systems and greater harmonisation in the implementation of airborne as well as space- and ground-based ATM elements will help reduce travel delays and the average time required to complete a trip. It will lower operational costs for carriers and other system users through more direct routings, and will minimise the environmental impact of aviation.

The companies will meet regularly to discuss ways to accelerate and shape global air traffic system changes and to explore opportunities to co-operate, possibly in partnership with other companies and public organisations, on projects that support their mutual goals. Projects envisioned may include joint demonstrations of future air traffic operational concepts using a mix of Boeing and Airbus aircraft.

Both the Air Traffic Alliance and Boeing Air Traffic Management said they would pursue near-term business opportunities separately, although they left open the possibility of collaborating on specific business opportunities as they arise.

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