R-WAKE · Project

Simulation Tool That Safely Reduces Aircraft Spacing to Handle More Flights

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rwake-sesar2020.eu

Every plane leaves behind invisible spinning air — like the wake behind a boat, but in the sky. These wake vortices can flip a smaller plane, so air traffic controllers keep big gaps between aircraft. R-WAKE built a simulation system that models exactly where those invisible swirls go during cruising flight, so controllers can figure out when it's safe to tighten the gaps and let more planes through the same airspace.

By the numbers

EUR 997,130

EU funding for simulation development

consortium partners

countries involved (BE, DE, ES, IT, LU)

SMEs in the consortium

67%

industry partner ratio

The business problem

What needed solving

European airspace is increasingly congested, and conservative wake turbulence separation rules force controllers to keep large gaps between aircraft — even when conditions might allow tighter spacing. This causes delays, higher fuel costs for airlines, and limits how many flights a given airspace sector can handle. There was no reliable way to simulate and assess wake vortex risk specifically for the cruising phase of flight.

The solution

What was built

The project built a wake vortex simulation system and a Simulation Result Database. The database stores complete execution records: input scenario parameters and conditions, output simulation data, and calculated safety metrics and indicators. In total, 3 deliverables were produced, including 1 demo-level deliverable.

Audience

Who needs this

Air navigation service providers (EUROCONTROL, ENAIRE, DFS, ENAV)ATM software vendors building controller decision-support toolsAirlines operating high-density European route networksAviation safety regulators evaluating new separation standardsAirport operators at capacity-constrained hubs

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Air Navigation Services

enterprise

Target: Air navigation service providers (ANSPs) managing en-route airspace

If you are an air navigation service provider struggling with congested airspace and flight delays — this project developed a simulation system with a result database that models wake vortex behavior during cruising flight. It lets you test whether reduced separation distances are safe under specific weather and traffic conditions, potentially increasing your airspace throughput without compromising safety. The consortium of 6 partners across 5 countries built this under the SESAR programme.

Aviation Software

mid-size

Target: Companies developing air traffic management (ATM) decision-support tools

If you are an ATM software provider looking to add wake turbulence prediction to your products — this project created a simulation database containing scenario parameters, output data, and calculated safety metrics for wake vortex encounters. You could integrate these models and validated datasets into your own tools to offer controllers better real-time separation guidance during en-route flight phases.

Commercial Airlines

enterprise

Target: Airlines operating in congested European airspace corridors

If you are an airline losing money on fuel and delays due to conservative aircraft spacing rules — this project's simulation results quantify when tighter en-route separation is safe. With 4 industry partners including the SME coordinator GTD Sistemas de Información, the tool was built with operational needs in mind. Reduced spacing means shorter holding patterns, less fuel burn, and more on-time arrivals for your fleet.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or access this simulation tool?

The project received EUR 997,130 in EU funding to develop the simulation system. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated directly with the coordinator GTD Sistemas de Información (Spain). As an SME, they may be open to commercial licensing arrangements.

Can this work at the scale of real European airspace operations?

The system was designed specifically for European en-route separation management under the SESAR programme. The Simulation Result Database stores full execution data including scenario parameters, simulation results, and calculated metrics — suggesting it can handle realistic operational scenarios. However, real-time deployment in live ATM systems would require further validation and certification.

Who owns the intellectual property?

IP ownership is shared among the 6 consortium partners across 5 countries (BE, DE, ES, IT, LU), with the coordinator GTD Sistemas de Información as the lead. Licensing would likely need agreement from the consortium. The SESAR funding context may impose specific IP-sharing or open-access conditions.

Does this meet aviation regulatory requirements?

The project was funded under SESAR (topic Sesar-07-2015), which is the EU's air traffic management modernization programme. This means it aligns with European ATM regulatory direction. However, operational deployment would still require certification from EUROCONTROL and national aviation authorities.

How long before this could be used in real operations?

The project ran from April 2016 to March 2018 and produced a working simulation system with a results database. Moving from simulation to operational deployment in live air traffic control would require additional validation, safety cases, and regulatory approval — typically a multi-year process in aviation.

Can it integrate with existing air traffic control systems?

Based on available project data, the simulation system uses standard inputs (scenario parameters, flight conditions) and produces structured outputs (metrics and indicators). Integration with operational ATM systems would depend on interface compatibility, but the database-driven architecture suggests it was designed with data exchange in mind.

Consortium

Who built it

The R-WAKE consortium is strongly industry-driven: 4 out of 6 partners are companies (67% industry ratio), with 4 SMEs involved — unusually high for aviation research. The coordinator GTD Sistemas de Información is a Spanish IT services SME, suggesting the project is software-focused rather than purely academic. Two universities provide the aerodynamics and vortex modelling expertise. The 5-country spread (Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg) covers major European air traffic corridors. This industry-heavy composition signals the consortium built something meant for eventual operational use, not just academic papers.

GTD SISTEMAS DE INFORMACION SACoordinator · ES
DEEP BLUE SRLparticipant · IT
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET BRAUNSCHWEIGparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYAparticipant · ES
M3 SYSTEMS BELGIUMparticipant · BE

How to reach the team

GTD Sistemas de Información SA is a Spanish IT/software SME — look for their SESAR or ATM division contacts

Order a report on this consortium See GTD SISTEMAS DE INFORMACION SA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how wake vortex simulation could benefit your aviation operations? SciTransfer can connect you with the R-WAKE team and help assess fit for your specific needs.

Order a report on this topic More in Transport & Mobility