ENAIRE and AIRBUS join forces to develop U-Space services and spur drone and air taxi activity in Spain

ENAIRE, the Spanish air navigation service provider, and AIRBUS, the leader of Europe's aircraft industry, today signed an agreement at the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda to enhance R&D (Research and Development) in the aerospace field in Spain.

The Ministry of Transport, through ENAIRE, is particularly interested in advancing and supporting scientific and technological research and development, as well as, in keeping with ENAIRE's 2025 Strategic Flight Plan, developing new digital technologies that can be used to modernise and improve the efficiency of air navigation services and, in particular, the development of U-Space services in Spain, which directly affect the activity of drones and future flying vehicles and air taxis.

The Spanish air navigation service provider and the aviation company sign a partnership agreement to promote R&D as they look ahead to the Single European Sky

In signing the partnership protocol between ENAIRE and Airbus, the State Secretary for Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, Pedro Saura, welcomed the synergies and the exchange of knowledge resulting from this public-private cooperation agreement in a field as strategic as the deployment of urban air mobility in U-Space environments.

Pedro Saura also emphasised the development of U-Space and the creation of new civil services and applications as part of a strategy for safe, sustainable and connected mobility. The automated and digitised management of drone operations in U-Space will be essential if these operations are to take place in an orderly manner and in a way that offers an urban mobility alternative that is safe and decarbonised while making the economy more resilient.

Alberto Gutiérrez, the president of Airbus Spain, noted that "this partnership will lay the foundation for the development of safe and sustainable urban and interurban air mobility technologies in the future. "The construction of interconnected systems can only be realised if all the parties involved - the government, regulators and companies - work hand in hand to achieve this collective goal, and this agreement marks the beginning of that era", he said.

ENAIRE's CEO, Angel Luis Arias, said that "given the current difficult crisis situation, innovation is hugely significant to facilitating the recovery of the aviation sector, and this partnership agreement between Airbus and ENAIRE is a great example of a shared commitment to foster innovation in the development of new technologies and operating concepts, such as urban, digital and sustainable air mobility. Through the efforts of both organisations, we aspire to place Spain among the world leaders in this new aviation sector".

ENAIRE's role and interest in urban mobility

ENAIRE's functions include the provision of en route and approach air traffic control services, as well as of air control services.

At the same time, ENAIRE is also taking on new challenges in the area of automated operations management that demand new technologies, infrastructures and concepts. This undertaking will be quite a challenge in terms of ensuring simultaneous operations in densely populated environments containing not just drones, but also manned aircraft. This will require advanced and environmentally friendly aircraft, and robust and reliable air traffic management systems such as U-Space.

"For the government, ENAIRE's involvement and public investment in innovation and technology projects has a knock-on effect on the aviation industry that will result in a boost for the activity and create quality jobs. This is a must if we are going to prop up the recovery of a sector affected by the crisis and encourage the country's digital and technological transition", explained Pedro Saura, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, and ENAIRE's CEO.

AIRBUS as a technology leader

Given this enormous challenge, AIRBUS, as a European and global technology company, is a key partner in ENAIRE's strategy and its commitment to society to develop new digital technologies that enable the further modernisation and improvement of air navigation services.

This aim requires researching and maturing technologies in conventional aviation environments; in the field of avionics and CNS systems; and in providing disruptive technologies and comprehensive solutions for the operation of autonomous vehicles that allow us to prepare for the early and safe deployment and adoption of the urban air mobility concept. In this regard, AIRBUS is a world leader in the innovation and development not only of autonomous platforms, but also of the physical and digital infrastructures needed to successfully transition towards this "immediate future" of air mobility.

ENAIRE and AIRBUS are combining their efforts in other areas

ENAIRE and AIRBUS also enjoy a large number of synergies in the Communications, Navigation and Surveillance services that ENAIRE provides to aircraft. In this regard, both entities can benefit from the validation tests for new systems of both on-board avionics and systems for providing these services on the ground and from satellites. Of significance in this regard are:

- Validation tests for new mode S and ADS-B transponders and other surveillance technologies, as well as joint analysis of incidents involving these systems

- Validation tests for new navigation avionics, both conventional and satellite, as well as joint analysis of incidents involving these systems

This collaboration between ENAIRE and AIRBUS can also be very positive within the framework of the SESAR programme.

About ENAIRE

ENAIRE is the air navigation service provider in Spain.

As a company of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, it provides en route control services for all flights and overflights from five control centres in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Gran Canaria and Palma, as well as approach services to every airport in the country.

In addition, 45 control towers receive ENAIRE's communication, navigation and surveillance services, and 21 airports, including the country's busiest, rely on its aerodrome control services.

ENAIRE is the fourth most important European air navigation service provider, and, in a clear commitment to the Single Sky initiative, belongs to international partnerships such as SESAR Joint Undertaking, SESAR Deployment Manager, A6 Alliance, iTEC, CANSO and ICAO.

ENAIRE is the official provider of aeronautical information in Spain

About AIRBUS

Airbus is a founding member of SESAR Joint Undertaking and is firmly committed to the Single European Sky by promoting digitisation as the centrepiece for the modernisation of airspace management. 

Airbus is leading the way toward a sustainable aerospace industry for a safe and united world. The company is constantly innovating to provide efficient and technologically advanced solutions in the fields of aerospace, defence and connectivity. It offers modern, energy-efficient commercial aircraft and related services. It is also a European leader in defence and security and a global pioneer in the space industry. Airbus also provides the world's most advanced solutions and services in both civilian and military helicopters.  More information at www.airbus.com.Airbus UTM is building digital air traffic management solutions to enable the next era in aviation. More information at www.airbusutm.com.