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1. New Business Models for ANS Infrastructures
Regulatory approach
Alias Conference
Francis Schubert
15 June 2012
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2. The need for new business models
› Comprehensive regulatory framework established for SES
› However, progress still unconvincingly slow. The main reasons for
this are:
 No commonly-agreed business model to support the future
provision of FABEC air navigation services, in order to generate
consolidation effects.
 Process of establishing meaningful Functional Airspace Blocks
(FABs) is being slowed by questions of governance and
organisation.
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3. The Virtual Center model
› A virtual centre is a group of air traffic services units operating from
different locations which use fully standardised methods of operation,
procedures and equipment in such a manner that they are perceived
as a single system from an airspace user’s perspective.
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4. The Virtual Center Model
The Common Controller Cockpit
– the enabler for standardized services
- open system for European certified "plug ins"
The Standardised Interface
The information Cloud
– the data service provisioning
page 4
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5. The Virtual Center model
› Model inspired by:
 the development of aircraft cockpits
 the concept of cloud computing.
› Cockpits present similar interface and common functions throughout a
particular aircraft family, and regardless of the aircraft’s operator.
› Cockpit equipment and functionalities are highly standardised,
however, the technical equipment downstream from the cockpit may
be based on very different systems provided by a wide range of
potential suppliers.
› The concept is not new; but the time has come to extend it to air
navigation services.
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6. Common Controller Cockpit concept
› The “common controller cockpit” concept:
 Breaks away from conventional integrated and monolithic air traffic
management system thinking.
 Assumes that the part of the system which is of common strategic
importance to ANSPs is the controller’s workstation or human/machine
interface.
 Fully standardises controller’s workstation and its functionalities to
permit common working processes throughout Europe.
 Recognises the specificity of certain working environments but permits a
broad selection of European-certified “plug-in” applications to perform
particular functions:
 Certain approach control operations,
 Services in complex airspace,
 Safety and forecasting tools
 Etc.
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7. The Information Cloud
› Provides ANSPs with a way to procure information services instead of technical
equipment (e.g. FDP).
› Such data services can delivered either
 by multiple industry providers; or
 as an intermediate step, by ANSPs.
› ANSPs will also be free to
 purchase a full radar data processing system to connect to its workstations;
or
 to purchase flight data directly from another ANSP or a commercial data
supplier.
› The provision of the technical equipment downstream from the controller’s
workstation need no longer form a part of the system owned or operated by an
individual ANSP.
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8. The common standardised interface
› It will be critical to standardise the interfaces between the common
controller cockpit and the systems providing and receiving required
and processed data.
› The concept of such standards forms one of the three key pillars of a
successful deployment of the next generation of technology,
alongside the pillars of ‘technology’ and of ‘harmonised operational
procedures’.
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9. Benefits
› Reduction of ANSPs’ dependency on a small number of technical
suppliers and consequently lower costs.
› Opens data processing and supply activities up to competition.
› Individual ANSPs no longer compelled to purchase a fully-fledged
system of their own, but able to:
 acquire a service from a competitive supplier; or
 share equipment with another provider
› Reduction of investment costs and overall costs of providing the
services.
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10. Benefits
› Allow ANSPs to close down certain facilities at times of low traffic (e.g. at
night).
› Offers an attractive option in terms of contingency facilities
› Airspace sectors can be more flexibly assigned among the centre’s units,
depending on the resources available at any given time.
› Will allow multiple ANSPs to pool resources in the longer term, in particular
within FABs.
› Reduce the cost of complexity of the European Air Traffic Management
system by supporting common operational procedures.
› Facilitates controller mobility, by making it easier for a controller to adapt to
another facility:
 Social acceptablity
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11. Conclusions:
The need for an harmonised regulatory approach
› Virtual centre business model's underlying principles must be rapidly
incorporated into the European regulatory framework.
 Regulatory approach can (and must) remain light and focused
 Transition period of no longer than 15-20 years
 relevant regulations must be harmonised across Europe.
› The regulatory foundation should take the form of:
 an EC implementing rule establishing:
 a requirement to standardise the HMI functions and interfaces with
the controller workstations (to permit equipment downstream to be
replaced by information services.)
 Standardised interface.
› Support via European funding:
 Support early adopters
 Incentives for RP2.
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