PROAVIA - French Airport & Air trafic management Solutions

hales will provide VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland) with its next generation Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system, enabling airspace management for unmanned aircraft in compliance with European regulatory standards.Thales's Topsky - AstraUTM will provide a scalable, automated platform for Finland’s Drolo 2 research and innovation initiative for U-Space airspace management.The U-Space Finland Precommercial Pilot Implementation project, part of VTT’s Drolo 2 Project, aims to develop and deploy automated, secure, scalable drone systems, products and services. This will support a wide range of drone applications, including logistics, agriculture, forestry, airport and construction operations. Additionally, the project seeks to establish a robust Finnish Drolo innovation and business ecosystem which will accelerate development and secure a competitive edge in the drone industry. The aim is that U-Space services, within european regulations, can be launched, tested and piloted in Finland making it the first or one of the first countries to do so.The Living Lab test environment based in the Oulu region of Finland, as part of the Drolo project, is ideal in many ways, as it combines piloting with various service needs and flight environments, such as a medium-sized international airport, seaport, inhabited island, medium-sized city center and a 5G development centre.This initiative marks a key milestone in the integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into Finnish airspace, ensuring operations are conducted safely, efficiently, and in full compliance with EU regulations.VTT needed a scalable, cloud-based U-Space system for research and operations, and TopSky-AstraUTM delivers real-time traffic management, compliance monitoring, and safe integration of unmanned and manned flights, with added weather services for enhanced safety and decision-making.

A strategic renovation for Paris-CDGFacing the aging of critical equipment and the need to make operations more reliable, Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport has undertaken a major modernization project for its passenger boarding bridges (PBB). Over a period of 5 years, this large-scale project covers 40 aircraft stands with 131 boarding bridges, 6 pre-boarding bridges, 14 anti-collision systems, and 50 400 Hz power units with archiving of the collected data. This modernization includes the replacement of more than 181 programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and human-machine interfaces (HMIs).Launched in 2024, the project is underway and will be progressively deployed over 5 years until 2028.ADP has chosen to modernize while guaranteeing increased performance and safety.Three complementary areas of expertise for a single objectiveThis complex project is led by a trio of French companies, all members of Proavia: Alpha-Cim, Schneider Electric, and Apave, each bringing its specific skills in an exemplary collaborative approach.Alpha-Cim : overall project integratorAs the operational leader of the site, Alpha-Cim ensures, in close collaboration with ADP services, the complete integration of the system."We carry out the revamping, that is, the modernization of the installations, including the replacement of the controllers, the rewiring, and the adaptation of the software," explains Françoise Boucarut (Chairwoman of Alpha-Cim).The objective: to ensure a smooth transition between old and new systems while respecting the airport's operational constraints. Each intervention requires meticulous coordination to limit the downtime of the boarding bridges.Data from the 400 Hz controllers is now easily and securely accessible remotely. This data tracks the electricity consumption of the aircraft parked at the stand.Schneider Electric : technology and supportSchneider Electric supplied the automation equipment, including the Modicon M580 controllers and HMIs, integrating advanced features in cybersecurity and maintenance. At the same time, its teams supported Alpha-Cim on the solution design and product lifecycle management."The replacement of obsolete equipment makes it possible to secure operations while anticipating long-term support issues," emphasizes Pauline Blot Georges (Global Airport Leader at Schneider Electric).Apave : Airport compliance and safetyAs part of the replacement of a passenger boarding bridge's controller by Alpha-Cim, Apave provided technical support aimed at identifying hazards and evaluating protection measures. The objective was to ensure the equipment's compliance with regulatory directives, such as the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, by analysing the technical documentation and the safety solutions envisaged.The complete analysis of the electrical diagrams and the functional tests of the safety and control devices confirm that the equipment respects all the requirements and guarantees the safety of the operators. As Christel Barel (airport/airline development director) specifies, "this validation attests that the modernized equipment is perfectly compliant with safety standards, guaranteeing maximum protection for operators and increased reliability for the airport".A finely orchestrated executionWorking in an active airport requires great flexibility: "There are periods when access is impossible (red periods), and you have to constantly adapt to the operational schedule," recalls Françoise Boucarut. A boarding bridge usage schedule is kept by ADP's operations department. Alpha-Cim requests available slots at least 1 month in advance and receives work authorization 15 days before the operation. Modernization operations are therefore carefully scheduled, often at night or during off-peak hours, to minimize the impact on flights. This logistical challenge could only be met with strong cohesion between the Alpha-Cim and ADP teams.Benefits for the airport and its usersThe modernization of the boarding bridges brings multiple advantages:Enhanced safety thanks to reliable, compliant, and inspected systemsReduction of breakdowns and improvement of boarding fluidityMaintenance of the operational condition of the boarding bridgesArchiving and remote availability of boarding bridge data for centralization and various usesAn eco-responsible approach, with modernization rather than complete replacement. Circularity loops are also defined for the replaced components: either a return to the spare parts stock if the references are still used elsewhere on the platform, or the resale of unused components by an ADP broker.Potential reduction of passenger delays"To modernize is to avoid scrapping and to reduce the environmental impact,", insists Christel Barel, Airport Development Director for Apave.A model of collaboration to be promotedThis project illustrates the capacity of three French companies, all members of PROAVIA, to unite their expertise to meet the demands of an international airport. "This type of sectoral collaboration is a real asset. The puzzle quickly falls into place thanks to our common experience," explains Christel Barel.This success shows that it is possible to modernize intelligently while guaranteeing safety, performance, and durability. An inspiring model for other airports.

Golfe de Saint-Tropez Airport commissions Vensolair to create and operate a photovoltaic park to restore agricultural activityFrom 2029, this photovoltaic park will produce enough electricity to meet the entire needs of the airport and neighbouring municipalities, while bringing back farming practices to the land on which it will be built.Vensolair will conduct studies on a plot of just over 6 hectares, to design a project that reconciles farming practices with environmental issues. The arrays will be at least 1.5 metres high and spaced apart to allow farming machinery to pass through. This choice, which mechanically reduces photovoltaic yield, meets the airport's agricultural and environmental requirements. The trees already present around the identified site will filter the view of the farm, so that it will blend into the landscape at the edge of the airport runway. In addition, installing solar panels will reduce heat and water stress thanks to the shade they provide, while increasing the comfort of grazing sheep during the hot season. After the environmental and agricultural studies have been completed, the planning application will be processed by government agencies. The solar PV farm is expected to be built in 2028, with commissioning planned for 2029. It is expected to generate 8 GWh annually, while the airport's estimated future needs, as electric aviation grows, will not exceed 1 GWh. The surplus will cover the equivalent electricity needs of the inhabitants of the village of La Môle and other neighbouring municipalities.  "This solution represents a double win. For the airport, it ensures carbon-free and economical generation that preserves the site's farming practices, and for the region, it is a local resource with no environmental impact," says Jean-François Guitard, Director of Business Aviation and Airport Development at Aéroports de la Côte d'Azur. "For more than 10 years, Nice Côte d'Azur, Cannes Mandelieu and Golfe de Saint-Tropez airports have been using only green electricity sourced in France. With this new solution, we are fully on course to achieve carbon neutrality without resorting to offsetting by 2030, in line with our decarbonisation roadmap." "This project will revive traditional farming practices on this land, while contributing to national objectives for developing renewable energies and decarbonising energy use," says Christophe Soulier, Director of Development at Vensolair.   

Dubai Air Navigation Services, Emirates Airline, and Thales sign Collaborative Research Agreement to advance flight efficiency through innovative solutionsInitiative aims to support air traffic controllers and airlines to significantly reduce fuel burn, and to deliver more on-time arrivals.This research partnership aims to advance operations via an AI-powered digital solution which can mitigate up to 40% of holding patterns at Dubai’s arrival airport.New system will predict UAE airspace congestion and generate proactive recommendations in order to modify flight plans whenever appropriate and reduce holding.Dubai Air Navigation Services (DANS), Emirates Airline and Thales have signed a Collaborative Research Agreement (CRA) to pioneer cutting-edge research aimed at reducing holding patterns for all flights arriving at Dubai International, supporting more efficient UAE airspace management. This collaboration for a safer and more efficient UAE airspace management reinforces the UAE's Net Zero by 2050 target.Holding patterns provide a safe, orderly system to sequence arriving aircraft during peak traffic and runway congestion. Aircraft fly carefully choreographed racetrack-shaped circuits at designated altitudes to ensure smooth arrivals. While holding patterns are essential for safety and operational flow, minimizing their occurrence reduces fuel consumption and associated carbon emissions.Under this agreement, the three partners will work together to research innovative ways to optimise aviation traffic management. Central to their efforts will be the integration of advanced AI technologies, which will play a pivotal role in identifying potential congestion areas and providing recommendations to stakeholders. By leveraging these AI-driven insights, the collaboration aims to help air traffic controllers and airlines minimise delays, enhance predictability, and boost operational efficiency throughout the entire airspace network.