The European concept for higher airspace operations (ECHO), a SESAR 2020 project, was officially kicked off on 12 November at a virtual meeting attended by the project team members, comprising representatives from Airbus UTM (Airbus Operations SL), CIRA, DASSAULT AVIATION, the DLR, the DSNA, ENAC (Italian NAA), ENAV, EUROCONTROL, ONERA and THALES Alenia Space.
Funded within the framework of Horizon 2020, the work of ECHO on the future definition of a European concept of operations for higher airspace will feed into the ICAO global framework, ensuring a global harmonised approach for higher airspace operations. It will also constitute the foundation and the starting point for the development of the future European higher airspace operation regulatory framework by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
