Digital flight rules

The HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03 call is a significant opportunity within the Horizon Europe initiative, focusing on advancing digital flight rules to modernize air traffic management. It emphasizes developing ICT-driven solutions for aviation under the Digital European Sky exploratory research. The application deadline is September 16, 2025, with the funding type specified as a lump-sum grant under the HORIZON JU model.

Eligible applicants include research organizations, universities, SMEs, public entities, and consortia that combine diverse expertise. The grant aims to support a collaborative approach typical of Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) under Horizon Europe. The geographical scope includes EU member states, associated countries, and potentially other regions with agreements for participation.

The target sectors for this call are transport, specifically aviation, and air traffic management, reflecting the EU’s strategic focus on digital and green transitions. The expected funding amount varies, with typical contributions ranging from €500,000 to €2,000,000 depending on the specific topic within the call, and projects are expected to last a maximum of 30 months.

The project stage is centered on research and development, examining foundational work for digital flight rules to complement existing Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). This includes evolving the ICAO Annex II to integrate digital concepts that support automated environments in air traffic management. The research will also analyze the human performance aspects necessary for both crewed and uncrewed aircraft and may lead to changes in additional ICAO documentation.

The application process is a single-stage submission with an open call, making it accessible for various applicants. Co-funding may not be required for lump-sum grants, which typically cover project costs fully. The call includes multiple topics, each with specific budgets and contribution expectations, aiming to significantly enhance digital aviation frameworks.

Overall, the HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03 call seeks to facilitate innovation that bolsters future air traffic management systems, emphasizing safety, efficiency, and the integration of modern technologies in aviation.

The HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03 call, part of the Horizon Europe program, focuses on Digital Flight Rules and aims to advance the Digital European Sky Exploratory Research. It is a HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Action (RIA) with a single-stage submission model. The call is open for submission with a deadline of 16 September 2025, 17:00:00 Brussels time. The call uses the HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model grant agreement.

The expected outcome is to significantly advance development priority FR-2, which concerns digital flight rules. The scope includes:

Evolution of ICAO Annex II (Rules of the Air): This involves building upon previous SESAR research related to IFR RPAS integration in airspace A-G. The goal is to analyze prior research from SESAR 2020 projects PJ.13, PJ.13-W2, and the ongoing IRINA project to provide foundational conceptual work. This will support the development and validation of a new flight rules concept called "digital flight rules," designed to complement Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). These rules are intended for environments where all aircraft are equipped with cooperative surveillance technologies.

The new digital flight rules should be applicable to certified aircraft, whether crewed or uncrewed, and should serve as a complement to IFR and VFR. The rules should enable the use of a certified on-board system to perform tasks such as:

Equivalent of out-the-window vigilance: Providing the same level of vigilance required by Annex II for all aircraft, similar to proposals from earlier SESAR research for IFR RPAS. This would apply to equipped crewed and uncrewed aircraft operating under VFR or IFR.

Manoeuvres to remain well clear: Facilitating the manoeuvres required to maintain a safe distance, as per the right-of-way rules in Annex II. This is relevant for IFR and VFR pilots in airspaces where Air Traffic Control (ATC) does not provide separation (e.g., airspace C to G for VFR aircraft, and airspace F and G for IFR aircraft).

The research should analyze whether on-board sensors for detecting non-cooperative traffic are needed to support the safety case, especially for uncrewed aircraft.

Digital flight rules should be compatible with both VFR and IFR and support crews needing to manoeuvre according to Annex II right-of-way rules, potentially using a remain-well-clear system for horizontal manoeuvring as per ED-271. Aircraft using digital flight rules would not need to maintain visual meteorological conditions (e.g., minimum visibility, distance from clouds). The research should fully describe the operational concept and analyze how ICAO Annex II (rules of the air) and Annex XI (ATS services, including flight planning aspects and appendix 4 airspace classification) would need to evolve to accommodate this new concept. An initial assessment of human performance aspects for both on-board pilots and remote pilots is also required.

Evolution of the overall ICAO framework: This involves analyzing the potential need to evolve other ICAO Annexes and documents to support a highly automated ATM environment. Examples include Annex 11 (Air Traffic Services), PANS OPS (doc. 8168), PANS ATM (Doc. 4444), Manual on ATCO competency-based training and assessment (Doc 10056), airworthiness and certification material, Annex 10 “aeronautical communications”, and ICAO doc. 9771 "Manual on Collaborative Air Traffic Flow Management”. The goal is to enable the implementation of the highly automated vision outlined in the European ATM Master Plan at a global level.

The research should consider the impact of the evolving role of human operators in the ATM system, as required to achieve the Master Plan vision. This includes analyzing changes to ICAO documentation to cover the possibility of certified ATC ground systems performing functions currently allocated to controllers. Examples include CPDLC being handled by the ATC system instead of human operators, automatic delivery of ATC clearances by the ATC ground system without human validation, and the shift from voice to CPDLC as the primary communication method.

The call is structured into several topics with varying budgets and expected contributions:

HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA1-2, HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA1-1, HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA1-3, HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA1-4: These topics have a combined budget of EUR 10,000,000. The expected contribution per project ranges from EUR 500,000 to EUR 1,000,000, with an indicative number of one grant per topic.

HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA2-2, HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA2-1: These topics have a combined budget of EUR 14,000,000. The expected contribution per project ranges from EUR 1,000,000 to EUR 2,000,000, with an indicative number of one grant per topic.

The general conditions for participation include:

Admissibility Conditions: As described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout are detailed in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.

Eligible Countries: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific provisions may apply to non-EU/non-Associated Countries, as detailed in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Other Eligible Conditions: As described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. The call is subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: As described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation and Award:

Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds: Described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes and subsection 1.4 of the BAWP 2024-2025.

Submission and evaluation processes: Described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The evaluation committee may include representatives from EU institutions and agencies.

Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: Described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Legal and financial set-up: As described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes, with eligible costs taking the form of a lump sum.

Additional obligations for beneficiaries include:

Dissemination: Proactive sharing of relevant results with other grants awarded under the same call on a royalty-free basis.

Exploitation: Making results available for reuse under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory conditions through a trusted repository. Granting non-exclusive, royalty-free licenses for results related to standardisation. Ensuring mutual access to background and results of linked actions.

The maximum project duration is 30 months, including a 6-month period for communications, dissemination, and exploitation activities.

Applicants are directed to various resources for guidance and support, including the SESAR 3 JU Call Helpdesk, the Online Manual, the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, the Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, the Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), the Enterprise Europe Network, the IT Helpdesk, the European IPR Helpdesk, and the CEN-CENELEC/ETSI Research Helpdesks.

This call for proposals aims to explore and define the concept of "digital flight rules" to enhance air traffic management, particularly focusing on the integration of unmanned aircraft systems and increasing automation. It seeks to modernize the regulatory framework and operational procedures to accommodate new technologies and ensure safe and efficient air travel in the future. The research should address both the technical and human factors involved in implementing these new rules, as well as consider the broader implications for the global aviation system.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but given the nature of Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant.

Consortium Requirement: The need for a consortium is not explicitly stated, but Research and Innovation Actions often benefit from a consortium approach to bring together diverse expertise and resources.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states and associated countries as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The target sector is transport, specifically aviation and air traffic management (ATM). The focus is on digital flight rules, RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems) integration, and highly automated ATM environments.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the call is relevant to the European Union and associated countries, as well as any non-EU/non-associated countries that have made specific provisions for funding participation in Horizon Europe projects.

Project Stage: The project stage is research and innovation, focusing on foundational conceptual work, development, and validation of new concepts.

Funding Amount: For topics HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA1-1, HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA1-2, HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA1-3 and HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA1-4 the contribution is between 500,000 EUR and 1,000,000 EUR. For topics HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA2-1 and HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA2-2 the contribution is between 1,000,000 EUR and 2,000,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding requirements are not explicitly mentioned, but Horizon Europe projects often require some level of co-funding from the beneficiaries.

Summary:

This is a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe program, specifically the Digital European Sky Exploratory Research 03 (HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03) call. The focus is on "Digital Flight Rules" (FR-2), aiming to significantly advance the integration of RPAS and the evolution of air traffic management towards a highly automated environment. The call seeks research and innovation actions (RIA) to develop and validate a new flight rules concept ("digital flight rules") that complements existing VFR and IFR rules, applicable in environments with cooperative surveillance.

The scope includes:

1.  Evolution of ICAO Annex II (Rules of the Air): Analyzing and proposing changes to ICAO Annex II to accommodate digital flight rules, including the use of on-board systems for vigilance and remain-well-clear maneuvers, initially in cooperative environments. This involves research on the use of CDTI traffic information, compatibility with VFR and IFR, and assessment of human performance aspects for both on-board and remote pilots.

2.  Evolution of the overall ICAO framework: Analyzing the potential need for evolution of other ICAO Annexes and documents to support a highly automated ATM environment, considering the impact on the role of human operators and the possibility of certified ATC ground systems performing functions traditionally allocated to controllers. This includes analyzing changes to Annex 11 (Air Traffic Services), PANS OPS (doc. 8168), PANS ATM (Doc. 4444), Manual on ATCO competency-based training and assessment (Doc 10056), airworthiness and certification material, Annex 10 “aeronautical communications”, ICAO doc. 9771 "Manual on Collaborative Air Traffic Flow Management”, etc.

The call is structured into multiple topics, each with its own budget and expected contribution levels. The total budget for HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA1-2, HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA1-1, HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA1-3 and HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA1-4 is 10,000,000 EUR, with individual contributions ranging from 500,000 EUR to 1,000,000 EUR. The total budget for HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA2-2 and HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA2-1 is 14,000,000 EUR, with individual contributions ranging from 1,000,000 EUR to 2,000,000 EUR. The projects are expected to last a maximum of 30 months and will be funded as lump sum grants. The call opens on April 1, 2025, and closes on September 16, 2025. Applicants are encouraged to form consortia and can use the partner search announcements to find collaborators.