Christian Rivierre, VP Airspace Mobility Solutions at Thales ringing in a new era in Air Traffic Management with COOPANS ANSPs’ CEOs Philipp Piber, Austro Control, Mario Kunovec-Varga, Croatia Control, Dr. Peter Kearney, Airnav Ireland, Ann Persson Grivas (represented), LFV, Anders Rex, Naviair and Pedro Angelo, NAV Portugal
COOPANS, an international cooperation between six European air navigation service providers, has announced that it will modernise its common Air Traffic Control (ATC) system with Thales’ TopSky-ATC One.
COOPANS consists of Austro Control, Croatia Control, Naviair, AirNav Ireland, NAV Portugal and LFV, and manages 14 per cent of European air traffic. CEO’s from each Air Navigation Service Provider gathered at Thales Headquarters in Rungis, France, to launch the new technology, which will enable COOPANS to move towards the Single European Sky (SES) project of the European Union.
“The upgrade of our system to the state-of-the-art TopSky-ATC solution is a significant milestone in order to be able to manage increasing air traffic in a safe, efficient and sustainable way in the future. A modern, open, and modular ATM system will ensure flexibility, adaptability, and interoperability, enabling seamless integration of new technological advancements. The commitment and professionalism of all our staff, who worked so hard on the specifications for the system modernisation, played a key role in ensuring that we could continue with this highly successful cooperation” said COOPANS Alliance Board Chairman Philipp Piber.
TopSky-ATC One will help to strengthen the integration of radar data and flight plans to enable better surveillance and accuracy in detecting aircraft trajectories and provides real-time decision support capabilities for complex situations.
“We are pleased that COOPANS has selected Thales’ TopSky – ATC One offering, including its system upgrade and innovative governance model. This decision ensures that COOPANS will benefit from the most advanced air traffic control (ATC) technology available, as Thales continues to lead the evolution of the industry. By partnering with Thales, COOPANS will enhance interoperability, efficiency, and safety in air traffic management. Together, we are shaping the future of airspace, advancing toward a more integrated and sustainable system in line with the ambitious objectives of the Digital European Sky project.” said Christian Rivierre, VP Airspace Mobility Solutions, Thales.
The system upgrade is currently under development, and until 2028, hardware deployment, software integration, and validations will take place in parallel, alongside technical and operational training. The upgraded system is expected to be implemented in three waves from 2028 to 2030.
Photo: Thales
