A new page in the modern history of aeronautical standardization has been written by ETSI members and ETSI partner organization EUROCAE, with the adoption of a new European Standard on Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control Systems (A-SMGCS). It is seen as a significant step towards the completion of the first of many Community Specifications planned for ensuring an interoperable European Air Traffic Management Network.


The draft European Standard (draft EN 303 213-1 on A-SMGCS Level 1 systems) was produced by a team appointed by ETSI Aeronautical Standards Task Group TG25 in December 2007. The Task Group’s parent Technical Committee (ETSI ERM) has now approved this draft for Public Enquiry, which is the next step in the process before formal European adoption of the standard.

The production of this draft European Standard builds on work by CEN, EUROCAE and ETSI members including EUROCONTROL to create a guidance document on the development of Community Specifications for application under the SES legislation. Community Specifications are European Standards that may be used to give presumption of conformity to the SES Interoperability Regulation. The document that has now been adopted is the first of the Community Specifications for SES produced by the European Standards organisations CEN, CENELEC and ETSI.

Gabrielle Owen, chairman, ETSI Technical Committee ERM, said, “With the achievement of this milestone, we have for the first time a draft of a European Standard for Air Navigation Service Equipment, which follows the requirements of the Single European Sky Legislation, adopted in 2004.”