RIZENI LETOVEHO PROVOZU CESKE REPUBLIKY STATNI PODNIK

Their core work

RLP CR is the Czech Republic's national Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP), responsible for managing all air traffic control across Czech airspace. In H2020, they serve as a key operational validator for the SESAR programme — Europe's flagship initiative to modernize air traffic management. They contribute real-world operational expertise from a mid-sized European ANSP to test and validate new ATM concepts, controller tools, airport management systems, and drone integration procedures. Their value lies in being an actual airspace operator who can trial SESAR solutions in a live environment, bridging the gap between research concepts and deployable ATM systems.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2016–2019), RLP CR focused heavily on core ATM modernization through SESAR Wave 1: controller tools, separation management, runway throughput, airport surface management, and system engineering infrastructure. From 2019 onward, their Wave 2 projects show a clear shift toward digital transformation and new entrants — digital tower technologies, RPAS/drone insertion into controlled airspace, and U-space concepts appear alongside continued work on trajectory management and network services. The evolution mirrors the broader European ATM roadmap: from optimizing today's manned aviation system toward preparing airspace for unmanned and urban air mobility.

RLP CR is positioning itself at the intersection of traditional air traffic control and unmanned aviation — expect growing involvement in U-space, urban air mobility, and drone corridor management as these mature from research to deployment.

How they like to work

RLP CR operates exclusively as a participant — across 35 projects they have never coordinated, which is typical for ANSPs who contribute operational validation rather than leading research design. With 151 unique partners across 27 countries, they are deeply embedded in the pan-European SESAR ecosystem, working alongside all major ANSPs, Eurocontrol, and aviation industry players. Their consistent presence across both SESAR Wave 1 and Wave 2 indicates they are a trusted, long-term consortium member rather than an occasional contributor.

With 151 unique partners across 27 countries, RLP CR is embedded in one of the densest collaboration networks in H2020 — the SESAR Joint Undertaking ecosystem, which connects virtually every European ANSP, major aviation manufacturers, and ATM research organizations. Their network is inherently pan-European due to the cross-border nature of air traffic management.

What sets them apart

As the Czech national ANSP, RLP CR offers something most research organizations cannot: a live, operational airspace environment in Central Europe for validating ATM concepts. Their participation in nearly every major SESAR solution area — from controller tools to airport safety to drone integration — makes them one of the most broadly experienced mid-sized ANSPs in the programme. For consortium builders, they bring a Central European validation site with direct regulatory authority over Czech airspace, which is valuable for demonstrations requiring real operational conditions.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PJ10 PROSA
  Their highest-funded project (EUR 924,547) focused on controller separation tools — continued into Wave 2 with EUR 630,000, signaling this as their core technical strength.
• PJ13-W2 ERICA
  Represents their strategic expansion into RPAS/drone integration in controlled airspace, including detect-and-avoid and IFR operations — a future-defining topic for all ANSPs.
• PJ05-W2 DTT
  Digital Technologies for Tower addresses remote and multi-airport tower operations, a critical capability for smaller airports and a growing deployment priority across Europe.