AWARE project – Results of the validation activities

BUDAPEST, Hungary - July 16, 2026 - PRLog -- The SESAR 3 JU exploratory research project AWARE has completed its validation campaign, demonstrating that an AI assistant can work alongside air traffic controllers as a supportive "team member" while keeping the controller firmly in control.

The results come from a rigorous campaign run at Malmö Area Control Centre in Sweden over two weeks in April 2026, in the busiest en-route sector in the area using real and augmented traffic data. Sixteen air traffic controllers from four air navigation service providers in the AWARE consortium took part. The ASA system was fully integrated into Polaris, an operational-grade ATM platform.  Across one workshop and four real-time human-in-the-loop simulations, controllers worked medium, high and a future +25% traffic scenario, with and without AI support.

Capacity and safety were the clearest wins. With AI support, controllers handled a rising traffic load, starting from 53 flights per hour at medium complexity up to 75 in the most demanding very high complexity future scenario, without compromising safety or service quality. AI-supported conditions generally produced fewer safety occurrences than the no-support baseline, with the execution mode consistently recording the fewest safety events and supporting earlier conflict detection and resolution. Controllers described the system as a potential "teaming partner" for future operations.

The 'Achieving Human-Machine Collaboration with Artificial Situational Awareness (AWARE)' project started on the 1st of June 2024. The University of Zagreb coordinates the project; its members are IFATCA, LFV, Slot Consulting, TERN Systems EHF, UkSATSE, UPM, JKU Linz, and ZHAW School of Engineering.

The SESAR Joint Undertaking and the European Commission fund the project.

About the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking

The SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking is an institutionalised European private-public partnership set up to accelerate through research and innovation the delivery of the Digital European Sky. The partnership is developing cutting-edge technological solutions to manage conventional aircraft, drones, air taxis and vehicles flying at higher altitudes. The SESAR 3 JU partnership brings together the EU, EUROCONTROL, and more than 50 organisations covering the entire aviation value chain, from airports, airspace users of all categories, air navigation service providers, drone operators and service providers, the manufacturing industry and scientific community. www.sesarju.eu

More information from the project can be found at the website: www.aware-sesar.eu