Visit brings into focus NAV Portugal’s strong contribution to SESAR innovation and deployment

On 25 May, on the eve of Airspace World 2026 in Lisbon, SESAR JU Executive Director Andreas Boschen and Member of the European Parliament Helder Sousa Silva visited SESAR JU member, NAV Portugalto take a closer look at its active participation in SESAR innovation and deployment.

The programme included a visit to the Lisbon Area Control Centre, where real-time operations illustrated how controllers manage complex traffic flows across en-route and approach sectors using SESAR Solutions in daily operations. Hosted by Rui Pedro Marçal, Vice-President of NAV Portugal, the visit also provided an opportunity to exchange on Portugal's strategic role within the Single European Sky and its long-standing engagement in SESAR activities.

NAV Portugal manages one of Europe's largest and most strategically important airspace volumes, including the Lisbon and Santa Maria flight information regions, ensuring the safe, efficient and sustainable flow of traffic between the European continent and the North Atlantic region. As an early and ongoing contributor to SESAR and the Single European Sky, NAV Portugal has supported the deployment of key SESAR Solutions such as free route airspace, advanced satellite-based approaches in the Azores and Madeira, advanced surveillance systems and broader digitalisation initiatives.

Together, these capabilities are enabling more direct and efficient trajectories, improving access and resilience in remote oceanic environments, strengthening situational awareness, and supporting more data-driven and coordinated operations across the European ATM network.

The visit was also an opportunity to see up close the work of the SESAR EXODUS project, developed within the COOPANS partnership, where NAV Portugal plays a central role. EXODUS represents an important step towards the future architecture of European ATM by addressing fragmentation across national systems and exploring new ways of delivering air traffic management services. At its core, the project is shifting from location-based systems to service-oriented, location-independent setups, paving the way for more flexible and interoperable operations across Europe. This evolution supports the transition towards a more connected Digital European Sky as outlined in the European ATM Master Plan, where ATM services can be delivered seamlessly across borders, and where systems are designed around services rather than fixed infrastructure.

The visit also highlighted the importance of continued political and institutional support for ATM modernisation, as reflected in the engagement of the Member of the European Parliament, and the need to sustain investment momentum as Europe prepares for the next EU budget cycle. Commenting on the visit, Mr Sousa Silva said that modernising ATM is an investment in Europe's competitiveness, sustainability and strategic autonomy. He highlighted the SESAR JU as a power tool to help Europe "own its sky", enabling greater connectivity for Europe's citizens and businesses.

More about NAV Portugal

Read about the EXODUS project

Get the full report about the SESAR JU's participation at Airspace World