Continuing our new series of coverage from Airspace World 2026.
The Innovation to Enable Safer, More Efficient Operations category of the Seamless Skies Awards saw strong competition this year. The runner-up spot went to the world’s first Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) FF-ICE/R1 (release 1) deployment project, a joint initiative by ROMATSA and Indra. The project marks a significant step in the digital transformation of air traffic management, enabling flight plans to evolve from static messages into dynamic digital objects that can be updated, shared and synchronised seamlessly across stakeholders and national borders in real time.
Global Airspace Radar editor Katarzyna Żmudzińska spoke with ROMATSA representatives – Operational Director Adrian Florea, Head of the ATM System Unit Andreea Strat, and Air Traffic Controller Adrian Niculae – to discuss the motivation behind the project, the challenges encountered during its implementation and the key lessons learned along the way.
Pioneering FF-ICE deployment
When the FF-ICE project started, ROMATSA was already inspired and driven by excellence and innovation, having already implemented a couple of initiatives, like Free Route Airspace and the remote tower project. Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) were keen to be equipped with tools that enable access to reliable data on aircraft trajectories that could be accessed at the right time. These improvements were intended to ease the ATCOs’ jobs, without overwhelming them with information.
With no previous ANSP deployment to learn from, the project team had to develop many solutions independently, breaking new ground throughout the implementation process. The nature of the project demanded close coordination among all stakeholders and careful management of data throughout the entire workflow. As the team described it, unlike the ICAO format, which builds a flight plan image through an iterative process, like pieces of a puzzle, in FF-ICE, each message contains all flight plan data, like one single picture.
On the regulatory side, close cooperation with the National Supervisory Authority within the Romanian Civil Aviation Authority was essential to ensure successful acceptance. From a technical perspective, achieving a common interpretation of the standard and harmonising the implementation required significant effort. FF-ICE also required the teams to dynamically align the implementation with the newest Network Manager (NM) FF-ICE related system changes – an industry first. Delivering all of this within the planned timeline demanded dedication, strong teamwork and effective coordination across all stakeholders. After all, it took less than two years from contract signature until the transfer to operations.
Looking back, moving forward
Reflecting on the project, the ROMATSA team identified several key lessons for future FF-ICE implementations. One of the most important was the need to engage with the NM as early as possible to ensure the required level of interoperability from the start. Maintaining close cooperation with all stakeholders throughout the project is equally important to ensure a common understanding of the data exchanged and its impact on trajectory management.
Another valuable lesson was the importance of understanding how each piece of information influences the trajectory. As FF-ICE relies on the continuous exchange and update of flight plan information, even seemingly minor data elements can have a significant operational impact.
Last but not least, involving end users from the very beginning of the project was another key to success. Their operational and technical expertise helped to shape the solution and ensured that the new functionality addressed the operational needs without increasing workload.
As FF-ICE/R1 addresses the pre-departure phase of flight, ROMATSA is now looking at the second release, which will extend data alignment during flight. Further into the future, the organisation has already planned the implementation of ADS-C EPP, ensuring capabilities for downloading and processing trajectory information directly from the aircraft, getting closer towards the vision of Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO).
ROMATSA’s bright future
Creating a unified European ATM environment remains a challenge, as countries are progressing at different speeds in the implementation of technologies. Nevertheless, ROMATSA intends to remain in front on the path towards TBO.
From an ATCO perspective, the vision is to have access to flight information across the entire European airspace. FF-ICE represents an important step towards this goal. Greater visibility of Flight Plans beyond an individual sector would enhance situational awareness and support more proactive decision-making.
ROMATSA wants people to remain at the centre of air traffic management. While embracing innovation and digitalisation, humans should be kept in the loop. The ANSPs’ focus is on implementing feasible operational solutions, enhancing safety, efficiency and the day-to-day work of operational staff.
