Seamless air mobility

Specific challenge: The European air transport system plays an essential role in creating links between people and exchanges for business, leisure and culture within Europe and worldwide. In 2010, it was capable of transporting over 750 million passengers within the EU airspace relying on 450 airports. It carried also around 22% of EU trade with the rest of the world by value. Today, the typical duration of intra-European flights is short, but the overall time spent in travelling from door to door could be significantly shortened and the accessibility could be improved. In the case of disruption, the response of the air transport system is not yet satisfactory. The challenge is to enhance the time efficiency, seamlessness, robustness and accessibility of the European air transport system.

Scope: The proposed research and innovation actions could target products and services which can enhance customer experience, minimise the duration of the travel of air passengers and provide them with integrated and comprehensive information so as to make informed decisions in selecting, modifying or reconfiguring their travel. They could also target improved accessibility to airports and aircraft, including for passengers with reduced mobility, as well as methods and systems to be put in place in case of major disruption, e.g. volcanic ash clouds, allowing an organised and efficient re-routing of passengers, making the best used of all transport modes.

Research and innovation could target optimised landside operations which can decrease aircraft turnover time, enhance predictability, minimise the time needed for aircraft operations at the airport and maximise freight fluxes.

The SESAR Joint Undertaking addresses research and innovation actions targeting the increase of the capacity of the Air Traffic Management System and airport ATM dependent processes, including for intermodality purposes. Therefore such actions are excluded from this Call.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 3 to 5 million each would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting smaller or larger amounts.

Expected impact: Actions will demonstrate in a quantified manner their potential to mature the Technology Readiness Level (TRL; please see part G of the General Annexes)  in the range of 1-6, of technologies and concepts that can make a significant contribution towards one or several of the following of the high level goals by 2050:

      90% of the travels involving air transport within Europe can be completed in 4 hours door to door.

      Passengers can make informed decisions.

      Air transport is well connected to other modes.

Actions will also provide ad-hoc indicators to measure the expected progress in terms of, for example, reduction of the travel time, increase in airport capacity, etc., when comparing the situation before the start of the action and after its completion. In the case of novel products and services, the potential markets will be identified together with the potential corresponding volumes / value.

Type of action: Research and Innovation Actions