SESAR

The SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) programme is one of the most ambitious research and development projects launched by the European Union. The programme is the technological and operational dimension of the Single European Sky (SES) initiative to meet future capacity and air safety needs.

Given the complexity of the programme, a legal entity called the ‘SESAR Joint Undertaking’ (SJU) was founded by the European Union and Eurocontrol, to coordinate and concentrate all relevant research and development efforts in the Community.

The mission of the SJU is to develop a modernised air traffic management system for Europe. This future system will ensure the safety and fluidity of air transport over the next thirty years, will make flying more environmentally friendly and reduce the costs of air traffic management.

Following on from the conclusion of SESAR phase 1 (2016), successful solutions which have demonstrated significant performance or safety benefits and fulfil the requirement of the EU’s Pilot Common Project (CIR (EU) N° 716/2014) are being taken to the deployment stage. The SESAR Deployment Manager has been established to coordinate and efficiently synchronise the upgrading of Europe’s air traffic management infrastructure in line with the Deployment Programme. In parallel, the SJU are also organising the second phase of SESAR R&D activities, namely SESAR2020.

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Meteorology and EUMETNET in SESAR

The SESAR phase 1 programme included a dedicated Work Package which addressed the critical dependency between weather, the environment, and the operational solutions of the SESAR Programme. Work Package 11.02 ran from 2012-2016 and aimed to better integrate new MET information services and information delivery functions, to enhance the performance of ATM.

As the MET Federating Project within the Programme, 11.2 ensured consistency and coordination of the MET architecture, systems and services, utilised by all SESAR projects and solutions. EUMETNET were responsible for the ‘Meteorological Information Exchange Solution 35’. The recently published Solution Catalogue describes the role MET plays in the ATM system and the work EUMETNET has done within SESAR.

EUMETNET led this MET workpackage which harnessed skills and technology into a consortium involving industry partners and several of our members:

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Following the successful conclusion of SESAR1, the technologies the EUMETNET consortium designed, developed, demonstrated and validated, have now been awarded EU grants to deploy to the stage of operational readiness. These deployment projects are being coordinated by EUMETNET in partnership with the SESAR Deployment Manager (SDM).

The deployment projects include:

· 2015_067_AF5 – European Weather Radar Composite of Convection Information Service

· 2015_068_AF5 – European Harmonised Forecasts of Adverse Weather (Icing, Turbulence, Convection and Winter weather)

· 2015_069_AF5 – European MET Information Exchange (MET-GATE)

· 2016 – SWIM Governance

Organisation

The SESAR activities of EUMETNET EIG are primarily undertaken by our Members, and coordinated through the EUMETNET Aviation Support Activity to ensure a consistent and compatible approach.

EUMETNET Aviation Coordinator
Ms. Rosalind Lapsley
from Met Office (United Kingdom)

EUMETNET Aviation Expert
Ms. Anu Lång
from Finnish Meteorological Institute (Finland)

More Information

WG Avimet

SESAR Joint Undertaking (SJU) [http://www.sesarju.eu/]

SESAR Deployment Manager (SDM) [http://www.sesarju.eu/]

OPERA Data production

During the previous OPERA phase (2019-2023), the data centre (ODYSSEY) was gradually replaced with three new production lines (CUMULUS/STRATUS CIRRUS, and NIMBUS).

New OPERA data production

Figure: The schematic structure of the new OPERA data production.

The three new production lines are:

• CUMULUS/STRATUS, a real-time data hub providing the incoming data back to members in approximately real-time for their own processing (e.g. regional composites or NWP assimilation) and to the other two production lines (CIRRUS and NIMBUS). The production line has been operational since Q2/2021.

• CIRRUS producing 5-minute instantaneous maximum reflectivity composite (dBZ) for current weather, severe weather alerts and aviation needs. It is replacing the ODYSSEY maximum reflectivity composite with improved spatial (now with 1 km gridding) and temporal resolution (from 15 – minutes to 5- minutes). The production has been operational in Q1/2024. Documentation regarding the CIRRUS maximum reflectivity product and its differences compared to the ODYSSEY maximum reflectivity product can be found here.

– OPERA_Max Reflectivity_Product Sheet_Ed-2.0.pdf

– OPERA5_Report_Cirrus-vs-Odyssey_Ed-2.0.pdf

• NIMBUS producing centrally the quality-controlled products; instantaneous rain rate (mm/h) and 1 – hour accumulation (mm) composites, and wind profiles (TBD Q4/2024), and additionally the quality-controlled volume data for NWP assimilation. It is replacing the ODYSSEY production for the above-mentioned products. The NIMBUS production has been operational in Q2/2024. Documentation regarding the NIMBUS composites and their differences compared to the corresponding ODYSSEY can be found here:

– NIMBUS_datasheet_composites_1.0_13062024.pdf

– NIMBUS_composite_vs_ODYSSEY_1.0_19062024.pdf

OPERA support can be reached through email to support.opera@emetnet.com. Responses from the service desk are provided on a best-effort basis.

Access to data

The members of OPERA and EUMETNET may use the composites for their official duties without a separate license. The Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) modelers obtain the quality-controlled volume data directly from NIMBUS production line.

The OPERA products are also available under license to 3rd parties:

· For national weather services not participating in OPERA which want to use the products to support their public weather service, contact info@emetnet.com

· For a research and education licence, contact info@emetnet.com.

· For a license to exploit the products commercially, contact one of the EUMETNET members contact points(https://www.ecomet.eu/contact/members) or send a mail eumetdaps_secretariat@emetnet.com.

AVIMET

WG AVIMET: The Working Group for Aviation

Objectives

Aviation, consisting of a wide spectrum of aeronautical stakeholders, is a high priority customer group for most EUMETNET Members. Via co-operation, EUMETNET Members strive to improve the value and efficiency of aeronautical meteorological services to ensure performance benefits for the aviation industry as well as to reduce the negative impact of adverse weather conditions on the daily operations.

AVIMET is a Working Group of EUMETNET that was created to address issues of common interest within the aeronautical meteorological (MET) domain, especially in relation to the ongoing development of the political, technical and regulatory landscape under a Single European Sky (SES). In addition to this, the WG AVIMET aims to facilitate the exchange of information between members on aviation meteorological issues whilst developing common position statements of EUMETNET on aviation-related issues.

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Focus Areas

AVIMET has identified three main focus areas:

Improving the value and efficiency of aeronautical meteorological services to the aviation industry to ensure performance benefits through cooperation, innovation and investment for the future
Improving the perception of the MET service providers by the other aviation stakeholders
Responding in a cooperative, consistent and user-focused way to the demands of the implementation of the Single European Sky (SES) initiative

Membership & Organisation

Membership is open to all EUMETNET Members who may nominate one representative to the Working Group. In general, the representative should belong to an authorized and certified MET Service Provider which may be either the EUMETNET Member itself or another agency in that country. On 1st of January 2017 AVIMET has 33 members.

The Working Group tasks are coordinated by an elected WG Chairperson whose main roles are to:

Act as an external spokesman for WG AVIMET when required
Act as an internal rapporteur to other EUMETNET bodies as required
Provide advice to the EUMETNET Aviation Support on how aviation issues should be handled

The AVIMET Chair is assisted by 2 elected Vice-Chairs.

SESAR

SESAR

OPERA Data production

New production lines

Access to data

EUMETNET AMDAR coverage

OBSERVATIONS – OPERA

WG AVIMET: The Working Group for Aviation