Airspace World 2024 ATM Awards: EUROCONTROL’s new Network Manager Operations Centre recognised for digital transformation

Congratulations to the entire EUROCONTROL Network Manager team, which today triumphed in the Digital Transformation category of the Airspace World 2024 ATM Awards for successfully delivering a brand-new Network Manager Operations Centre (NMOC).

There to collect the award on behalf of the entire team were Steven Moore, Head of ATM Network Operations, and Yolanda Portillo, Head of NMOC & Operations Analysis.

Built in record time, in under three years from the first call for tender to a fully operational, EASA-certified Operations Centre to manage the ATM network operations of 2024 and beyond, and fully within budget, this new, state-of-the-art building successfully entered into operations on 30/31 October 2023. The new NMOC will ensure that EUROCONTROL remains a cutting-edge solution provider, eventually housing an entirely new range of digital products that will be delivered by our iNM integrated Network Management programme, and will ensure that EUROCONTROL as the Network Manager can manage effectively growing traffic in the years ahead, and guarantee efficient and sustainable operations across the busy European network.

The second award came in the Collaboration category, where ATS Common Datalink Services (ACDLS) Governance was recognised, an award shared between EUROCONTROL and the 17 participating ANSPs - ANS Czech Republic, AUSTROCONTROL, BULATSA, CROATIA CONTROL, DFS, DSNA, ENAIRE, ENAV, IAA, LFV, LPS, MATS, NATS, NAV Portugal, PANSA, ROMATSA & Skyguide.

A Memorandum of Cooperation for ACDLS governance was signed by the 17 in October 2021, with the aim of harmonising the provision of ATM datalink services in Europe through the set-up of a unique certified ATM Datalink Service Provider (DSP). The DSP will be selected via a common procurement procedure conducted by EUROCONTROL on behalf of the ACDLS governance. Its establishment will reduce the fragmentation that characterises the current datalink implementation in Europe, improving datalink service performance, accelerating technology uptake, and achieving economies of scale. Datalink is a key enabler to increase aviation safety and capacity as well as support automation, efficiency and scalability for airspace operations. Overall, the establishment of the DSP is a key building block for the deployment of the SESAR Digital European Sky.

"This is a first and essential step in our iNM digital transformation programme. Functional improvements to the Network Manager's systems will follow. The revolutionary operational concept has been to move already on existing legacy systems with an entirely new interface - virtualisation - which allows for seamless adaptation today of the digital systems of tomorrow, thus permitting and incorporating areas such as AI, digitalisation and cloud technology. This unique combination makes the new NMOC fit for the future, as well as future proof."

The new NMOC supports enhanced performance in airspace network flow management, flight planning and data operations by facilitating the adoption into network operations of brand-new digitalised products and services.

These will increase NM's ability to use the available airspace as efficiently as possible, enabling us to continue to work closely with all operational partners to leverage the maximum capacity from the network in support of stakeholder needs, today and in the future.