Regardless of the volumes of traffic to be handled, airports shall always maintain the highest level of safety for airside operations: large hubs operating multiple runways, especially those with a complex layout, need automation tools and safety systems to detect potential conflicts, prevent hazards and accidents.

To this end, 15 operational stakeholders have launched in 2016 a joint initiative to deploy and harmonize their ATM systems to enhance the safety of European passengers across 13 European airports: by implementing and upgrading their airport surface movement systems, stakeholders are ensuring a safer trip to up to 520 mln passengers per year under normal conditions.

As part of the initiative, airports are synchronizing the implementation of new ground systems and functionalities to detect and prevent deviations from normal operations, reduce runway incursions and increase the safety and efficiency of aircraft movements across the aerodrome. Safer operations also bring benefits from an environmental perspective: when aircraft are moving efficiently through shorter taxi times on the ground, they consume less fuel, thus reducing CO2 and noise emissions.