28th September 2011, in Brussels, Belgium, at Regione Campania – Brussels Office, Avenue De Cortenbergh 60

•  the elements of the SAT Vision in order to build up a “Common” shared view of the future.

•  the concept of Small Aircraft Transport (SAT) mode: a new modality for the Future ATS responding to 2020 challenges (medium term) and looking towards 2050 horizon (longer term),

•  Enabling Technologies, Enabling Conditions, Priorities.

• Presentation of a Vision for an Aircraft Transport System including Small Aircraft Transport (SAT) for inter-regional mobility responding to 2020 challenges (medium term) and looking towards 2050 horizon (longer term).
• Benefits by the SAT mode: High Level Objectives vs Challenges.
• Demand of SAT modes and possible Scenarios.
• SAT sectors and products where Europe wants to excel.
• Business case with operational characteristics.
• Identification of existing regulation requirements, regulatory difficulties and innovative approach in the regulation area.
• High Level Objectives for SAT Products needed to identify the enabling technologies.
• Assessment of existing and missing capabilities in Europe.
• Start-up discussion on Enabling Technologies, Enabling Conditions, Priorities to pave the way for the SAT SRIA.

1. Do you agree with the following statement: “A Small Aircraft Transport System, based on small-size aircraft, operating on commercial scheduled or non-scheduled flights from standard airports and small airfield network, should be accepted as a component of the European (Air) Transport System”?
2. Do you agree with the formulated goal: “The main goal of Small Aircraft Transportation System is to provide fast passenger transport service for European business travel, the need of passengers along city pairs with low intensity traffic (also in central Europe), as well as the needs of remotes regions with underdeveloped transport infrastructure thus enabling door-to-door travel between EU regions/city pairs at a flying distance of around 4 hours?
3. Do you agree that these goals might be met by 2020 using mostly currently existing aircraft, infrastructure and available ICT?

The Workshop Attendance

The Workshop, dedicated to “Common Vision for Small Aircraft Transport Mode”, gathered a satisfactory representative group of the General Aviation Community; there were attendants from 11 countries: manufactures, operators, regulators, academia, research, ACARE, EC. There were also reactions to the Discussion Paper on “SAT System Common Vision” and the related three Pivotal Questions.
Clearly, building “Common” shared view of the future Small Aircraft Transport System as a component of the European Integrated Transport is a long process, and cannot be addressed in one single meeting; anyhow, workshop discussions as well as written answers are extremely useful to collect opinions and to build a common vision for the development of a SAT System.

The Parallel Sessions

Two Parallel Sessions took place to openly collect views and opinions on key elements of the SAT Vision.

Working Group-1 - Product Technologies
The topics to be discussed in Working Group 1 were:
- Target Products & Technologies,
- High Level Objectives for Product Technologies,
- Enabling Conditions for Product Technologies, R&TD infrastructures, Certification, Standards and Rules, Industrial Master Plan, Funding,
- Product Technologies High Level Objectives vs Challenges.

CONCLUSIONS

• The importance of SATS as a new air transport mode was generally accepted.
• Better marketing for SATS is needed
• Step change in aircraft technology is needed.
• Engine technology is critical.
• An ATM concept and airspace classification suitable for SATS has to be developed.
• Novel concepts for SATS aimed at longer term have to be conceived.

• The importance of SATS as a new air determining transport mode was generally accepted.
• Better marketing for SATS is needed.
• Cost, Quality & Competitiveness are factors.
• Safety and Predictability of Operations are very important element.
• SATS insertion in SESAR has to be tackled.
• The business model to be adopted is an essential element for the success of a SAT System. It has to be affordable and reliable.
• A pilot phase testing some different business models should be set up in the short term (within 2020) ; this would allow to build up a success story, to increase trust in the approach, to support public acceptance and increase political leverage.

•  Adriaan de GRAAFF (AdCuenta - Independent expert, co-author SRA’s, EPATS, SAT-Rdmp Partner),
•  Stefaan GHIJS (Fly Aeolus – small aircraft operator, SAT-Rdmp Partner),
•  Tony HENLEY (THL – ATM – SESAR expertise, co-author SRA’s, SAT-Rdmp Partner),
•  Marcello AMATO (CIRA - ACARE expertise, co-author SRA’s, SAT-Rdmp Partner),
•  Jaroslav RŮŽIČKA (Evektor, EGAMA Vice-President),
•  Zbigniew MĄCZKA (Polish Civil Aviation Office Vice-President),
•  Jozsef ROHACS (BUTE – Professor with PATS expertise, SAT-Rdmp Partner),
•  Pablo PEREZ-ILLANA (EC DG Research – Project Officer of SAT-Rdmp Project).