EADS is to launch a new alliance for the air traffic management (ATM) industry which will see it team with Airbus, European group Thales Aerospace and later, UK-Italian joint venture Alenia Marconi Systems.
While not revealing specific details of the partnership – the alliance is to be unveiled this week during the show – Jean-Louis Gergorin, EADS executive vice-president for strategic co-ordination, disclosed the plan during a seminar at Killarney in Ireland.
He described the move as a way of developing "joint actions for revamping the global air traffic management system". It follows Boeing's intensive efforts over the past two years to establish itself as a leading player in the ATM industry.
EADS is giving little away regarding its ATM intentions and how it plans to proceed. But joint chief executive Philippe Camus says the company is "very interested" in the ATM market.
"Firstly because of Airbus we already have certain competencies in ATM," he says. "And secondly we also have skills within defence electronics and radar programmes."
Co-ordination
The company is also connected with the future global navigation satellite constellation Galileo, through its space subsidiary Astrium. Galileo, comprising some 30 satellites, is designed as a civil alternative to the US Government's Global Positioning System and will principally be used for air traffic co-ordination when it becomes operational around 2008.
Camus says the new alliance will deal primarily with civil ATM although he adds that its developments "may apply" to other fields eventually.
While the Farnborough briefing will initially see EADS, Airbus and Thales unveil the partnership, Gergorin says that Alenia Marconi System is "later on" to become a member. He will not give details of the alliance structure, nor whether it will be given its own individual identity.
Airbus has ties with the ATM industry through development of its FANS-A air navigation system, while Thales Aerospace – in addition to supplying cockpit avionics – is also Europe's leading ground-based air traffic management systems supplier through its Thales ATM business.
Thales ATM manufactures the Eurocat airspace management system, which is installed in several high-profile air traffic control centres.
Source: Flight Daily News
