Digital flight rules
SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking Bi-Annual Work Programme 2024-2025
Funding Amount
€500K - €1.0M
Deadline
16/09/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution
Trusted by
What is the Digital flight rules Call?
Grant Description
Research and innovation actions to develop and validate a new digital flight rules concept complementary to visual and instrument flight rules for cooperative environments in certified crewed and uncrewed aircraft, and to analyse the necessary evolution of ICAO Annex II, XI and other regulatory documents to support a highly automated air traffic management environment, including human performance aspects and potential sensor requirements.
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
Projects are expected to significantly advance the FR-2 Digital Flight Rules priority by:
• Delivering a validated conceptual framework for digital flight rules to complement VFR/IFR in cooperative surveillance environments
• Producing a comprehensive operational concept, system requirements and safety case for certified onboard remain-well-clear systems (CDTI-based) replacing visual vigilance
• Outlining necessary evolutions to ICAO Annex II, Annex XI and related ICAO documentation to enable digital flight rules and highly automated ATM operations globally
• Providing an initial assessment of human performance impacts on onboard and remote pilots
• Establishing a roadmap for regulatory adaptation, automation of ATC ground functions (CPDLC, automated clearances, voice-to-data communications) and integration with the European ATM Master Plan vision
• Delivering a validated conceptual framework for digital flight rules to complement VFR/IFR in cooperative surveillance environments
• Producing a comprehensive operational concept, system requirements and safety case for certified onboard remain-well-clear systems (CDTI-based) replacing visual vigilance
• Outlining necessary evolutions to ICAO Annex II, Annex XI and related ICAO documentation to enable digital flight rules and highly automated ATM operations globally
• Providing an initial assessment of human performance impacts on onboard and remote pilots
• Establishing a roadmap for regulatory adaptation, automation of ATC ground functions (CPDLC, automated clearances, voice-to-data communications) and integration with the European ATM Master Plan vision
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
Projects must address:
1. Evolution of ICAO Annex II: replace out-the-window vigilance with CDTI-based equivalent vigilance and remain-well-clear manoeuvres per Annex II right-of-way rules in non-separation airspace (C–G for VFR, F–G for IFR)
2. Development of “digital flight rules”:
– Applicable to certified crewed and uncrewed aircraft, under both VFR and IFR
– Cooperative-only initial environment, with analysis of non-cooperative traffic detection sensor requirements
– Support for crews via a certified remain-well-clear system (horizontal guidance per ED-271)
– Removal of requirements for visual meteorological conditions (visibility, cloud separation)
3. Regulatory adaptation: analyse changes needed in ICAO Annex II, Annex XI (Appendix 4 airspace classification, flight planning), and related documents to enable digital flight rules
4. Evolution of global ICAO framework for a highly automated ATM:
– Assess need to update Annex 11, PANS-OPS (Doc 8168), PANS-ATM (Doc 4444), ATCO competency training (Doc 10056), airworthiness/certification, Annex 10, Doc 9771
– Analyse shifting controller functions to certified ground systems (automated CPDLC handling, automatic clearances, voice-to-CPDLC migration)
– Consider human-operator role evolution to achieve the European ATM Master Plan vision
1. Evolution of ICAO Annex II: replace out-the-window vigilance with CDTI-based equivalent vigilance and remain-well-clear manoeuvres per Annex II right-of-way rules in non-separation airspace (C–G for VFR, F–G for IFR)
2. Development of “digital flight rules”:
– Applicable to certified crewed and uncrewed aircraft, under both VFR and IFR
– Cooperative-only initial environment, with analysis of non-cooperative traffic detection sensor requirements
– Support for crews via a certified remain-well-clear system (horizontal guidance per ED-271)
– Removal of requirements for visual meteorological conditions (visibility, cloud separation)
3. Regulatory adaptation: analyse changes needed in ICAO Annex II, Annex XI (Appendix 4 airspace classification, flight planning), and related documents to enable digital flight rules
4. Evolution of global ICAO framework for a highly automated ATM:
– Assess need to update Annex 11, PANS-OPS (Doc 8168), PANS-ATM (Doc 4444), ATCO competency training (Doc 10056), airworthiness/certification, Annex 10, Doc 9771
– Analyse shifting controller functions to certified ground systems (automated CPDLC handling, automatic clearances, voice-to-CPDLC migration)
– Consider human-operator role evolution to achieve the European ATM Master Plan vision
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
• Admissibility, eligibility, financial/operational capacity and exclusion criteria as per Annexes A–C, E–G of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes
• Eligible countries per Annex B; restrictions apply for protection of European communication networks
• Lump-sum funding model (Decision 7 July 2021) with fixed contribution ranges per work area:
– WA 1-1 to 1-4: €500 000–€1 000 000 each (total €10 000 000)
– WA 2-1 and 2-2: €1 000 000–€2 000 000 each (total €14 000 000)
• Maximum project duration: 30 months (including 6-month results exploitation period)
• Additional dissemination obligations: share all relevant results royalty-free and in a timely manner with other grants under this call; acknowledge and describe these efforts in the proposal and Annex I
• Additional exploitation obligations:
– Make results available for reuse under FRAND conditions via a trusted repository
– Grant non-exclusive royalty-free licenses if related to standardisation
– Ensure mutual access to background and results of linked actions where necessary
• Award criteria, scoring, thresholds per Annex D (BAWP 2024–2025 § 1.4); submission and evaluation as per Annex F
• Proposal templates, detailed budget tables, and call-specific documents available in the Submission System
• Eligible countries per Annex B; restrictions apply for protection of European communication networks
• Lump-sum funding model (Decision 7 July 2021) with fixed contribution ranges per work area:
– WA 1-1 to 1-4: €500 000–€1 000 000 each (total €10 000 000)
– WA 2-1 and 2-2: €1 000 000–€2 000 000 each (total €14 000 000)
• Maximum project duration: 30 months (including 6-month results exploitation period)
• Additional dissemination obligations: share all relevant results royalty-free and in a timely manner with other grants under this call; acknowledge and describe these efforts in the proposal and Annex I
• Additional exploitation obligations:
– Make results available for reuse under FRAND conditions via a trusted repository
– Grant non-exclusive royalty-free licenses if related to standardisation
– Ensure mutual access to background and results of linked actions where necessary
• Award criteria, scoring, thresholds per Annex D (BAWP 2024–2025 § 1.4); submission and evaluation as per Annex F
• Proposal templates, detailed budget tables, and call-specific documents available in the Submission System
Important dates
Open from: 01/04/2025
Deadline:16/09/2025
Application period has ended
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