THALES AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Their core work

Thales Australia is the Australian arm of the Thales Group, a major global defense and aerospace technology company. Within H2020, they contributed air traffic management (ATM) expertise to SESAR Joint Undertaking projects, focusing on controller tools, trajectory management, runway throughput optimization, and human-machine interfaces for air traffic controllers. Their role as a third-party contributor across all four projects reflects their position as a global ATM systems provider supporting European partners with specialized technical input from outside Europe.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their earlier projects (2016-2019) concentrated on operational ATM tools: controller working positions, separation management, and runway throughput with sensor technologies like LiDAR and RADAR. Their most recent project (PJ18-W2 4D Skyways, started 2019) shifted toward data-driven trajectory management, introducing machine learning alongside traditional conflict detection and resolution. This progression mirrors the broader ATM industry's move from procedural control toward predictive, automation-assisted airspace management.

Thales Australia is moving from traditional ATM controller tools toward machine-learning-enhanced trajectory prediction and 4D airspace management, signaling readiness for next-generation automated ATM systems.

How they like to work

Thales Australia participates exclusively as a third party — they are brought in by European consortium members for their specialized ATM expertise rather than leading or formally partnering in proposals. Despite this indirect role, they connect to 78 unique partners across 26 countries, indicating they are embedded in the SESAR ecosystem as a trusted technical contributor. Working with them likely means engaging through their European Thales counterparts or SESAR consortium leads rather than directly.

Connected to 78 unique consortium partners across 26 countries through SESAR projects, giving them an extensive network in the European ATM research community despite being based in Australia. Their geographic reach spans well beyond the Asia-Pacific region into core European aviation research.

What sets them apart

As a non-European third party embedded in multiple SESAR projects, Thales Australia brings a rare outside perspective on ATM systems used in the Asia-Pacific region, where airspace management challenges differ significantly from Europe. Their connection to the broader Thales Group means they can bridge European ATM research with global deployment experience. For consortium builders, they offer access to real-world ATM operational insights from a major southern-hemisphere aviation market.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PJ18-W2 4D Skyways
  Their most recent and forward-looking project, combining trajectory management with machine learning — signals the direction of next-generation ATM.
• PJ02 EARTH
  Technically rich project spanning runway throughput, wake vortex management, LiDAR, and multiple approach technologies (GBAS, SBAS, curved approaches).