DARJAVNO PREDPRIYATIE RAKOVODSTVO NA VAZDUSHNOTO DVIJENIE TPP

Their core work

BULATSA is Bulgaria's national Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP), responsible for managing all air traffic control operations across Bulgarian airspace. Within EU research, they serve as an operational validation partner in the SESAR programme — Europe's flagship initiative to modernize air traffic management. Their contribution centers on testing and validating new ATM concepts in real operational environments, including trajectory-based operations, conflict detection systems, and airport surface management technologies. They bring the perspective of a mid-sized European ANSP operating at a strategic crossroads of continental air routes.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

BULATSA's early H2020 involvement (2016–2019) covered a broad spectrum of SESAR Wave 1 projects — from free routing and controller workstation design to airport safety nets and surface management. In the second wave (2019–2023), their focus sharpened significantly toward trajectory-based operations, ADS-C datalink surveillance, and conflict detection, reflecting the SESAR programme's own maturation toward 4D trajectory management. The appearance of machine learning keywords in recent projects suggests they are beginning to engage with AI-assisted ATM operations.

BULATSA is deepening its trajectory management and datalink expertise, positioning itself as a validation partner for next-generation surveillance-based ATM concepts in SESAR deployment.

How they like to work

BULATSA operates almost exclusively as a third-party contributor (9 of 10 projects), meaning they are linked through a primary SESAR beneficiary rather than receiving direct EU funding. This is typical for ANSPs that provide operational environments and domain expertise for validation exercises rather than leading research. With 97 unique partners across 26 countries, they are well-networked within the SESAR ecosystem but function as a specialized validator rather than a consortium driver.

Extensive SESAR network spanning 97 partners across 26 countries, connecting them to virtually all major European ANSPs, ATM technology providers, and research organizations. Their network is broad but concentrated within the SESAR Joint Undertaking ecosystem.

What sets them apart

As Bulgaria's sole ANSP, BULATSA offers access to operational airspace and infrastructure in Southeast Europe — a region that is underrepresented in SESAR validation activities compared to Western European ANSPs. Their geographic position along major East-West and North-South air corridors makes them valuable for validating trajectory management and free routing concepts in complex cross-border scenarios. For consortium builders, they provide a credible operational end-user from an EU-13 country, which strengthens geographic balance in proposals.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PJ18-W2 4D Skyways
  Comprehensive trajectory management project covering TBO, conflict detection, ADS-C, and CPDLC — represents the convergence of BULATSA's key competencies.
• GRADE
  Their only project as a direct participant with EC funding, demonstrating GNSS solutions for improving airport accessibility for general aviation and rotorcraft.
• PJ38-W3-ADSCENSIO
  Most recent project focusing on ADS-C-enabled ATM operations, signaling BULATSA's direction toward satellite-based surveillance and machine learning in air traffic.