An interview with SESAR Deployment Manager’s Managing Director Massimo Garbini

Could you tell me about your career history including what inspired you into the industry and most memorable project/programme?

“I joined ENAV, Italy’s ANSP, as an air traffic controller in 1991. After more than 20 years, I stepped down in the summer of 2014 as CEO and COO of ENAV. I was also Chairman and CEO of the subsidiary company Techno Sky. All my life has been and most probably will be where my heart is: in aviation. That’s where I have been acting at political level to steer and shape the future of civil aviation in Europe. I am also a permanent member of the European Commission’s Aviation Platform, and retiring Chairman of the Network Management Board.”

“The need to change the approach in aviation industry, from a single perspective into a common perspective, inspired me into the industry”, Garbini continues. “Aviation industry should act as one, a system having one common passenger.”

“My most memorable project, up till now, was as Director Operations to help evolve Air Traffic Control operations towards a performance driven process. And of course when I was the CEO of ENAV and had the opportunity to bring the whole organization to an important level of maturity and productivity, knowing the business by heart,” says Garbini.

Current role and responsibility

 “As Managing Director of the SESAR Deployment Manager I am accountable for the deployment of the SESAR Common Projects and any subsequent revisions within a performance lead and passenger centric framework. This means I am responsible for managing the development, submitting and execution of the Air Traffic Management Infrastructure Deployment Programme concerning 3 billion euro.”

Can you tell me a little about the role of SESAR Deployment Manager, highlighting achievements and challenges faced so far?

Garbini: “The SESAR Deployment Manager is the entity that synchronises and coordinates the modernisation of Europe’s air traffic management system under the political oversight of the European Commission. The main task of the SESAR Deployment Manager is to develop, submit to the European Commission for its approval and execute the Deployment Programme, a project view strictly drawn from the Pilot Common Project (PCP) set by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 716/2014, as well as any subsequent Common Projects in future regulations.”

“Through the Deployment Programme, the SESAR Deployment Manager will ensure efficient synchronisation and coordination of implementation projects required to implement the PCP, as well as the related investments. The detailed tasks of the Deployment Manager are described in Article 9 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 409/2013.”

“I believe that that the modernisation of Europe’s airspace will be a long and challenging task, but that industry cooperation is the key to success. Our main task is to drive this modernisation. We will develop, consult, submit to the EC for approval, and execute the deployment program.”

SESAR Deployment Manager achieved milestones in 2015

SESAR Cooperation Agreement signed, sealed and delivered

On 10 March, at the World ATM Congress in Madrid, the SESAR Joint Undertaking (SJU) and the SESAR Deployment Manager (SDM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding. This agreement provides a platform on which to build cooperation for the smooth and timely delivery and deployment of SESAR Solutions to the ATM community. 

EDA and SESAR Deployment Manager seal cooperation

On 30 June in Brussels, Jorge Domecq, Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency (EDA), and Massimo Garbini, Managing Director of the SESAR Deployment Manager (SDM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Its purpose is to establish efficient cooperation and support between the two organisations with regard to SESAR deployment.

Massimo Garbini: “This MoU reflects the kind of relationship we aim for with all stakeholders. Only through efficient cooperation and mutual support between both civil and military stakeholders, we can deliver the modernisation of European Air Traffic Management technology together.”

SESAR Deployment Manager delivers first Air Traffic Management Infrastructure Deployment Programme concerning 3 billion Euro

On 29 June , Massimo Garbini, Managing Director of SESAR Deployment Manager, formally delivered the first SESAR Deployment Programme to the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission (DG MOVE). This is a significant milestone, a move from the research and development phase, to the modernisation of European Air Traffic Management technology.

Garbini: “This Programme will lead investment plans by European Air Navigation Service Providers, Airports and Airlines and will provide Europe with a modern infrastructure which guarantees the development of a safe and efficient continental air transport system in support of our economy and the creation of jobs. Today the industry shows the maturity and commitment to deliver this Programme together.”

329 million euro co-funding for modernising European air traffic management

On July 13, the European Commission (EC) has granted 329 million euro in co-funding to Air Traffic Management (ATM) projects around Europe as a result of the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Transport Call 2014. The industry will now benefit from an unprecedented financial funding boost of a total public-private investment of around 650 million euro to implement the first projects contributing to the modernisation of ATM.

Garbini: “We are proud that the European Commission has invested 329 million euro into the modernisation of ATM,” said Massimo Garbini, Managing Director of SESAR Deployment Manager. “This financial support is crucial to kick-start the industry investment needed for the modernisation of ATM. We are here to support the industry and to coordinate all funded implementation projects.”

Were there any complexities experienced in delivering European Air Traffic Management technology following the research and development phase?

“The complexity is that we are dealing with a wide range of stakeholders and aim to get the buy in of all of them. But this challenge is at the same time the added value of the Deployment Programme. So we are very proud that we were already able to deliver a unique, agreed and supported Air Traffic Management technological implementation plan which has been consulted on, and developed by the industry, for the industry.”

What is your personal outlook on the future of the Single European Sky ATM and challenges that could be ahead?

“I am very positive. The establishment of the strong partnership between the European Commission and the industry is proving to be the right model to achieve results. And the industry, as a whole, is showing the needed level of maturity in taking its responsibility on the evolution of European Air Traffic Management.”

“It is the first time that Europe has an Air Traffic Management Infrastructure Deployment Programme – one that has been studied, consulted on and agreed by the majority of the stakeholders in the ATM industry.”

“The industry is leading the modernisation of our airspace. We are here to ensure the management of ATM is more efficient in the coming years. We want to maintain high network performance in terms of safety, capacity, environment and cost efficiency, but in a nutshell, we are here to support European aviation industries and its leadership”, Garbini concludes.