Brussels, 04/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - A recent study carried out by McKinsey&Co corroborates the benefits of implementing SESAR as laid out by the European Commission, in terms of facilitating air traffic within the single European sky, but shows that delays due to a lack of funding or governance could dramatically affect the anticipated advantages. These advantages, between now and 2030, can be measured in terms of growth of GNP (€419 billion), job creation (328,000 direct and indirect jobs), traffic efficiency (flights 10% shorter, 50% fewer delays and cancellations) and environmental impact (10% drop in greenhouse gas emissions).
These results can be obtained by replacing the current air traffic management systems - which are still largely based on technology dating from the 1950s - with innovative systems using satellite navigation and digital technology, both on board the aircraft and on the ground. Some of these systems have already been tested across the Union, with the SESAR programme having begun its development phase two years ago.
Avoiding delays and desynchronisation in the application of SESAR. The study by McKinsey&Co, which was presented on 1st July by the executive director of SESAR Joint Undertaking (SJU), Patrick Ky, stresses the risks in potential losses if SESAR is not set in place in time, or if there is a lack of synchronisation in its implementation by the various actors within the EU (between regions, or between ground and on-board equipment) between now and 2030.
A delay of 10 years on the ideal route plan would equate to a loss of €268 billion in GNP, a job creation shortfall (189,000 compared to forecasts) and a failure to save 55 million tonnes in CO2 emissions.
Desynchronisation, due to sparse investment across the EU in new equipment and making the system ultimately unusable, would equate to a loss of €117 billion in GNP, a job creation shortfall of 72,000 jobs and lost savings of a potential 35 million tonnes of CO2.
Furthermore, the technological race is on for SESAR, which needs to be set in place effectively before its American rival Next Gen. The aim is to avoid allowing the latter to be used as standard by other global competitors such as India, China and Brazil. In order to avoid these scenarios, therefore, the joint study calls on the institutions to give the EU resources - both financial and in terms of governance - to get SESAR up and running in time. (Cor/transl.fl).