Poland's air navigation services provider and SESAR operational validator for runway operations, airspace management, and drone integration.
PANSA is Poland's air navigation services provider, responsible for managing the country's airspace and ensuring safe, efficient air traffic flow. Within H2020, they contribute operational expertise to the SESAR programme — Europe's effort to modernize air traffic management — working on runway throughput, airspace design, controller tools, remote towers, and drone integration. Their role is that of an operational end-user who validates and demonstrates new ATM concepts in real-world conditions, bridging the gap between research prototypes and deployed systems.
Core contributor across PJ02 EARTH, PJ02-W2 AART (largest funding at EUR 1.18M), PJ03b SAFE, PJ28 IAO, PJ04 TAM, and VLD2-W2 STAIRS covering runway throughput, surface safety nets, and airport management.
Participated in PJ08 Advanced Airspace Management, PJ06 ToBeFREE (trajectory-based free routing), PJ10 PROSA (controller separation tools), and PJ07 OAUO across both SESAR waves.
Active in PJ20 AMPLE (Master Planning) in both waves and PJ19 CI (Content Integration) in both waves, contributing to ATM architecture integration and deployment roadmaps.
Participated in PJ05 Remote Tower and PJ05-W2 DTT (Digital Technologies for Tower), covering remote tower operations for multiple airports.
Joined PJ13-W2 ERICA on RPAS insertion into controlled airspace and engaged with U-Space concepts in recent-period projects, reflecting the growing need to manage unmanned traffic.
Contributed to PJ14 EECNS and PJ14-W2 I-CNSS covering LDACS, SATCOM, GBAS, ADS-B, and next-generation CNS infrastructure.
In the first SESAR wave (2016–2019), PANSA focused broadly on foundational ATM modernization — runway throughput, airport surface management, system engineering methodology, and master planning. The second wave (2019–2023) shows a clear shift toward more advanced operational concepts: drone/RPAS integration into controlled airspace, U-Space, digital tower technologies, and network management services. This evolution mirrors the SESAR programme's own maturation from concept development toward deployment-ready solutions and emerging challenges like unmanned traffic.
PANSA is moving toward managing mixed manned/unmanned airspace and digitizing tower operations — two areas where operational validators with real airspace authority will be essential partners.
PANSA operates exclusively as a participant, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as an operational end-user that validates research outputs rather than driving research agendas. With 154 unique partners across 29 countries, they work in large SESAR consortia typical of the programme's structure. Their consistent presence across both SESAR waves (W1 and W2) indicates they are a reliable, long-term partner valued for operational credibility rather than one-off contributions.
PANSA has collaborated with 154 unique partners across 29 countries, placing them at the center of the European ATM research community. Their network spans virtually all EU and associated countries with aviation stakeholders, reflecting the pan-European nature of SESAR.
PANSA brings something most research partners cannot: operational authority over real airspace. As Poland's ANSP, they can validate ATM concepts in live or near-live conditions, making them indispensable for SESAR demonstrations and large-scale validations. For consortium builders, partnering with PANSA means access to Central-Eastern European airspace for trials and a credible operational voice that strengthens any proposal's validation strategy.
