Remarkable advancements in automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are reshaping the Air Traffic Management (ATM) landscape. Highly automated systems are now capable of tasks previously reserved for humans, often with increased efficiency and speed. However, these advancements bring new challenges, particularly in building trust, ensuring ethical use and achieving certification for AI-driven systems in aviation.

To address these challenges, the project HUCAN has developed a Certification Glossary, a new key resource designed to provide clarity and consistency for stakeholders navigating the complexities of certifying advanced automation systems. HUCAN invites the SESAR community to leverage this resource and collaborate in shaping the future of ATM.

The glossary is available as an open-access document, ensuring its benefits are widely shared among researchers, industry, and regulators.

The glossary consolidates definitions and terminology from various EU regulations, including the AI Act (2024), GDPR, EASA AI Roadmap while also incorporating inputs from SESAR AI framework and EU HLEG-AI Ethics guidelines for trustworthy AI. It highlights discrepancies across frameworks, provides harmonized terminology, and is organized into three sectitions:

  1. Automation and AI: technical definitions related to AI technologies
  2. AI Regulation and Certification: requirements and lifecycle roles for AI systems
  3. Society and Ethics: social and ethical considerations, such as privacy and fairness

The Certification Glossary was unveiled at the SESAR Innovation Days 2024, where it was recognized as a foundational tool for supporting SESAR projects in designing and certifying innovative technologies.

As Oznur Uygur, SESAR Programme Manager for HUCAN, explains: Integrating higher levels of automation into ATM is essential to meet the sector’s evolving demands. To achieve this, we need targeted research and tools to ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks while fostering innovation. The HUCAN Certification Glossary is a vital first step towards this goal.

Project Coordinator Paola Lanzi emphasizes: As the aviation industry continues to embrace automation and AI technologies, it becomes imperative that robust certification and approval mechanisms are established to ensure the highest levels of safety and compliance. The HUCAN Certification Glossary is a significant step towards achieving this goal and underscores our commitment to a human-centric approach to technology integration in aviation