ENAIRE receives award for improving the safety of general aviation

ENAIRE has been recognised for deploying a network of antennas that enhances the visibility and surveillance of general aviation. The award was presented at the 2nd Spanish Congress on Aeronautical Operational Safety, co-organised by the Spanish Association of Aeronautical and Space Law (AEDAE), the Spanish Union of Airline Pilots (Sepla), Soluciona of the Cobendai Group, and the Royal Aero Club of Spain (RACE), where José Luis Rodríguez Castro, Director of Systems, accepted the prize on behalf of ENAIRE.

José Luis Rodríguez Castro, Director of Systems, accepted the award on behalf of ENAIRE at the 2nd Spanish Congress on Aeronautical Operational Safety

“I am very pleased to accept this award on behalf of ENAIRE and its commitment to our customers and to safety. This recognition is especially meaningful as it reflects a team effort with RACE, with whom we’ve been working to enhance safety for many years. It is particularly special because the technical teams at RACE and ENAIRE have worked admirably, supporting each other to achieve a shared goal—one that now serves as an example across Europe”, said José Luis Rodríguez Castro.

In 2024, ENAIRE, together with RACE, began installing 30 stations across Spain to help general and sport aviation pilots enhance their operational safety and increase their visibility to airspace management systems, as well as within their own flight operations.

This ADS-B technology includes both the devices installed on aircraft and drones to transmit their position and other data, and the infrastructure that enables this information to be shared between systems. As a result, the data can be displayed to pilots and air traffic controllers through visual and/or audible signals, alerting them to nearby aircraft and thereby helping to prevent collisions or other in-flight incidents.

The use of these devices and applications enhances situational awareness—that is, the understanding airspace users have of what is happening around them. All of this is based on the concept of “electronic conspicuity” and allows positioning information to be shared among different airspace users, thereby increasing safety during operations.

The ultimate goal is to promote initiatives that raise the safety standards needed at all times to support growth and increased activity in general, sport, and non-commercial aviation, in line with the recommendations of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

At the same congress, the Head of the Safety Division, Jesús Romero, also took part in the roundtable discussion Is artificial intelligence compatible with the core principles underpinning safety management?, alongside representatives from OdiseIA—the Observatory on the Social and Ethical Impact of Artificial Intelligence—and the Spanish Aviation Safety Agency (AESA), whose former director, Isabel Maestre, was honoured for her outstanding contribution and commitment to the continuous improvement of safety standards in the aviation sector. 

[Isabel Maestre (center) and José Luis Rodríguez Castro (second from the right) with their awards].

About ENAIRE

ENAIRE is the air navigation service provider in Spain.

As a company of the Ministry of Sustainable Transport and Mobility, it provides air traffic control services during the en route and approach phases of all flights to and from Spain and overflights. In addition, it manages communications, navigation and surveillance services from ENAIRE in the airspace and the entire AENA airport network in Spain and provides aerodrome air traffic control services in 21 airports, including the busiest.

ENAIRE is the fourth largest European air navigation service provider, and it is a member of international partnerships A6 Alliance, SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) Joint Undertaking, SESAR Deployment Manager, iTEC, CANSO (Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation) and collaborates closely with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization).

ENAIRE has received the highest score in Europe on the aviation safety key performance indicator for four years in a row. It has also been awarded the EFQM 600 Seal for its safe, efficient, innovative and sustainable management of air navigation services.