Smarter airports, seamless journeys: How SESAR is transforming European transport
Airports are at the heart of Europe’s transport system. As the European Union works to deliver smarter, more sustainable and connected mobility, transforming airport operations and linking air travel with other transport modes is essential. The seventh entry in the CORDIS Projects Info Pack series highlights 12 projects supported by the SESAR Joint Undertaking(opens in new window) that are helping to make this transformation a reality – enhancing airside efficiency, improving traffic management in and around airports, and enabling seamless multimodal journeys. Europe’s sustainable and smart mobility strategy(opens in new window) envisages seamless travel from door to door. Along with the European Green Deal(opens in new window) and Fit for 55(opens in new window) plan, it calls for smarter, more sustainable aviation operations on the ground and in the air. Airports sit at the intersection of these ambitions, acting as vital hubs within the transport network. The projects highlighted in the Pack work to improve multimodal mobility by linking airports with ground transport modes such as rail and bus lines. Data sharing allows smooth transfers between modes of transport, reducing travel times, and booking platforms that enable single-ticket journeys across multiple modes of transport. Innovations in digitalisation and AI enhance the efficiency of airport operations, offering improvements in collaboration across airports, situational awareness, managing possible disruptions, and passenger flow management. They also ensure that airports operate as integral components of a broader European transport ecosystem, while preparing for the integration of new technologies such as unpiloted aircraft. Research and demonstration projects powered by SESAR are instrumental in testing new ideas and concepts in real-world airport environments. These efforts are vital in making Europe’s transport system more resilient, efficient and environmentally sustainable, ensuring it meets the demands of the future. To read the Projects Info Pack, visit: Projects Info Pack on Smart airports and innovations in multimodality(opens in new window)