This Fast Track project is a unique opportunity allowing the different stakeholders to approach, in an agile way, the development and joint validation of needed UAM technologies and operations in a real European environment. This will help the market bridge the famous Valley of Death in technology development, while it will bring a significant amount of insights that will be necessary for ensuring a safe introduction of the new UAM vehicles in all types of airspaces. The project has set 5 key objectives which will deliver 6 well defined results that will contribute to achieving all Expected Outcomes stated in the Call text. The OperA project will enable safe and efficient operations in all types of airspace (controlled, uncontrolled and U-space) and conditions by validating 3 different complex UAM (piloted Air Taxi and unmanned cargo) operations in real-life ATM conditions (TRL7) including contingency and non-nominal situations. It will stimulate the uptake of new sustainable Urban Air Mobility services by addressing Air/Ground integration and the critical transition steps from piloted towards automated flights for 5 key autonomy-enabling technologies at TRL7. In addition, it will ensure environmental sustainability compared to the next best transport alternative, and enhance it, by optimizing flight routing for minimum noise footprint and aircraft energy utilization. Eventually, it will accelerate the deployment of Urban Air Mobility by addressing necessary standardization, regulation and roadmaps, in synchronization with the ongoing certification of the 3 involved European UAM vehicles, and ensure social acceptance by targeted communication and dissemination activities. All of this will be done through 3 distinct and well selected demonstration activities involving Europes most promising UAM OEMs.

CONCERTO aims to provide the means to maximize the opportunities for CO2 reduction and to introduce non-CO2 impact management in daily operations. The goal is to reach TRL6 processes and tools that allow the ecosystem to achieve more eco-friendly trajectories and thus higher climate impact reduction without requiring major changes on legacy ATM and airlines systems. To do so, two specific objectives are declined for CONCERTO. The first one focuses on CO2 emissions reduction when the second one introduces non-CO2 climate impact reduction mitigation means. Finally, as CONCERTO is a data driven project, generating data on CO2 and non-CO2 effects and opportunities at TMA, ATSU and possibly network level, the project presents the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of european environmental performances dashboards. Ambition #1- Keep the pace on CO2 emissions reduction, integrate Green ATC capacity in ATM processes, with the appropriate level of automation, and support ATM actors in balancing permanently regularity and environmental performance at local and network level. Ambition #2- By leveraging state-of-the-art climate science, allow ATM actors to take their “eco-responsibility” to the next level Ambition #3- Strengthen cooperation, anticipation and exchange of information between NM, Air Traffic Control, Airlines and Flight Planning Service providers. Ambition #4- Demonstrate that mitigation measures such as the eco-friendly orchestrator and ECHO area avoidance concepts can be deployed progressively at network level, in close connection with scientific progress