Ireland's air navigation service provider and aviation regulator, deeply embedded in SESAR ATM modernization across trajectory management, drone integration, and airport operations.
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is Ireland's national air navigation service provider and aviation regulator, responsible for managing air traffic across Irish-controlled airspace — one of the busiest oceanic corridors in the world. Within H2020, the IAA contributes operational expertise to the SESAR programme, Europe's flagship initiative to modernize air traffic management (ATM). Their work spans trajectory management, airspace capacity optimization, drone integration, and digital tower technologies, bringing the perspective of a working ANSP to research and validation exercises.
Core contributor across PJ18 4D Skyways (trajectory management, TBO, conflict detection), PJ10 PROSA (separation management), PJ06 ToBeFREE (free routing), and PJ31 DIGITS (trajectory information sharing).
Active in PJ09 DCB and PJ09-W2 DNMS (demand capacity balancing, ATFCM, network operations), plus PJ24 NCM (network collaborative management).
Participated in PJ01 EAD and PJ01-W2 (enhanced arrivals/departures, AMAN, DMAN), PJ02 EARTH and PJ02-W2 AART (runway throughput), and PJ04/PJ04-W2 TAM (total airport management).
PJ13-W2 ERICA focuses on enabling RPAS insertion in controlled airspace, covering detect-and-avoid, IFR operations, and regulatory accommodation — a newer direction for the IAA.
Contributed to PJ05 Remote Tower (multiple airports) and PJ05-W2 DTT (digital technologies for tower, remote tower centers).
Involved in PJ20 AMPLE and PJ20-W2 (ATM master plan maintenance, SESAR vision, deployment scenarios) and PJ19/PJ19-W2 (content integration, European ATM architecture).
In their earlier H2020 projects (2016–2019), the IAA focused on foundational ATM modernization — demand capacity balancing (DCB), en-route airspace operations, network operations planning, and contributing to the Single European Sky master plan and ICAO alignment. In the Wave 2 projects (2019–2023), their focus shifted toward more advanced operational concepts: 4D trajectory management with conflict detection (4D Skyways), RPAS/drone integration into controlled airspace (ERICA), performance-based navigation, and digital tower technologies. This evolution mirrors the SESAR programme's own maturation from research to closer-to-deployment validation.
The IAA is moving toward advanced trajectory-based operations and unmanned aircraft integration, positioning them as a key operational partner for the next generation of European airspace management.
The IAA operates exclusively as a participant, never as a project coordinator — consistent with their role as an operational end-user bringing real-world ANSP expertise to SESAR research consortia. With 141 unique partners across 27 countries, they are deeply embedded in the European ATM research ecosystem. Their participation in nearly every major SESAR solution area suggests they function as a trusted validation partner whose operational environment is used to test and refine new ATM concepts.
Extensive European network with 141 unique partners across 27 countries, built almost entirely through the SESAR Joint Undertaking programme. This makes them one of the most connected ANSPs in European ATM research, with direct working relationships spanning airlines, technology providers, other ANSPs, and Eurocontrol.
The IAA manages one of Europe's most critical oceanic airspace corridors (North Atlantic), giving them unique operational insight into long-range trajectory management and cross-boundary coordination that most European ANSPs lack. Their consistent participation across nearly the full spectrum of SESAR solutions — from surface management to en-route to network-level — means they offer an unusually broad operational perspective rather than narrow specialization. For consortium builders, the IAA brings credible operational validation capability and regulatory authority in a single partner.
