Brussels, 09/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 8 December 2008, the European Commission signed a deal with fifteen aeronautics companies to inaugurate the SESAR joint undertaking, a public-private partnership in air traffic management created to develop a new air traffic control system in the EU for 2025. Half of the funding for the 8-year €2.1 million programme will come from the European Commission and Eurocontrol and half from industry. The managing director of SESAR, Patrick Ky, told reporters that SESAR would follow three key ideas, precision, a digital communication system and automated air traffic control. The undertaking will focus on three working groups managed by different bodies. The operational side of the programme will be controlled by national air traffic navigation companies: DSNA of France will control technologies controlling aircraft in flight; NATS of the United Kingdom will control approach, take-off and landing and AENA of Spain will control taxiing in airports. Industry will be responsible for the technical side of the programme. Thales, Indra (Spain) and Selex Sistemi Integrati (Italy) will share development of flight and approach technologies. Overarching issues like R&D and innovation will be controlled by Eurocontrol. The total cost of introducing an innovative air traffic control management system, including the new in flight and ground equipment) is estimated at €25 billion of which €7 billion will be for the military (but if military aircraft fail to update their navigation systems they will not be able to operate in civilian airspace); €12 billion for airlines; and €6 billion for airports and control services. The system is expected to reap considerable benefits. The pooling of airspace capacity through new technology will lead to a threefold increase in capacity in the EU and reduce the environmental impact per flight by 10%. The cost of air control will be halved (from the current €8 billion a year according to some estimates). In addition to European aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Alenia Aeronautica, national air navigation service provides (DSNA of France, DFS of Germany, ENAV of Italy, NORACON of Northern Europe and Austria, AENA of Spain and NATS of the United Kingdom), SEAC (a consortium of six big EU airports), Thales, Frequentis, Indra, SELEX Sistemi Integrati and two non-EU companies, Honeywell of the United States and Natmig of Norway are expected to join the consortium. (A.By. trans fl)