The Air Traffic Alliance, a three way grouping of EADS, Airbus and Thales, has announced a co-operation pact with Boeing Air Traffic Management to establish common standards for future global air traffic control (ATC) concepts.
The two sides stated they would co-operate on "issues affecting the interoperability" of air transport systems, adding that this could even lead to collaboration on specific projects.
Airbus and Boeing each stressed that it was in their interests to safeguard the future of their core business by eliminating the problems of delays and under-capacity in the current air traffic control system.
Global
The Alliance will concentrate on creating an available-technology platform, while Boeing will focus on a wider global architecture.
Air Traffic Alliance president Lionnel Wonneberger said: "We believe that this partnership is an important step to address key interoperability issues on both sides of the Atlantic."
Boeing ATM president John Hayhurst added: "Transforming the air traffic management system is a big challenge requiring multiple players all working together. Having multiple standards throughout the world for managing air traffic is very inefficient - they don't benefit anybody."
The Air Traffic Alliance was unveiled at last year's Farnborough Air Show. It announced three days ago that it has now been established as a company with a co-operative Groupement d'interet économique (GIE) structure - similar to that under which Airbus once operated.
Source: Flight Daily News
