During the reporting period, the following work towards the achievement of the objectives of this project has been carried out:
- Develop and validate concepts enabling Airspace Users to plan flight trajectories without reference to a fixed route network or published directs within high & very high-complexity environments.
---> About upper airspace: The V3 concept is fully described. It has been updated according to the validation exercises results. About lower airspace: The concept has been fully described both at V1 and V2 level. It has been updated according to the validation exercises results.
- Identify the additional infrastructure that is required locally and regionally to establish Free Routing Airspace.
--->The requirements associated to the relevant infrastructure (and supporting tool) enabling the provision of air traffic services in a Free Route environment have been defined. This work has been updated according to the validation exercises results.
- Support the evolutions related to Demand & Capacity Balancing and ATC support tools to be performed and identify the specificities of the Free Routing environment.
---> Fulfilled by providing to others SESAR2020 projects the Free Routing environment description and, when relevant, updated requirements.
- Consider the General Aviation and rotorcrafts to be Airspace Users in order to investigate specific requirements to these users
--->These categories of Airspace Users have been considered when producing operational concept description in lower Free Route environment. General aviation aircrafts were part of the validation exercises. Validation results have been documented
- Address the safe and transparent integration of Civil RPAS in non-segregated airspace, in a multi-aircraft and manned flight environment, guaranteeing the interoperability with the ATM system. Operational considerations specific to RPAS and technological needs, if any, will be identified.
---> Concept supporting the integration of civil RPAS, in lower Free Route environment, has been described and associated validation exercises have been carried out and the validation’s results have been documented.
- Consider the compatibility of the Free Route concept and systems with the requirements related to cyber-security
--> A Validation exercise has been performed with main focus on the assessment of the resilience of FR operations and the impact that data integrity issues may have on human performance (ATCOs) and safety in FR environment. The validation’s results have been documented.
