Airbus has agreed to assist the Air Traffic Management Bureau (ATMB) to introduce and implement new ATM technologies and practices in China under the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the company said in a statement recently.

The company has also given its consent to share its experience in Europe with ATMB for the development of future ATM systems in China.

With the MoU, Airbus has expanded its cooperation with China's civil aviation into a new area. Global interoperability of air traffic management systems, in particular between the future ATM system in China and SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) is key for the air transport industry, and strengthening cooperation between Europe and China will support global interoperability, said Laurence Barron, President of Airbus China.

The MoU was signed by Wang Liya, Director General of CAAC ATMB and Eric Stefanello, Senior Vice President of Airbus in charge of air traffic management.

Within the MoU framework, Airbus agreed to support ATMB in advanced R&D, the validation and deployment of new ATM technologies, and training.

The cooperation between CAAC ATMB and Airbus will help us draw on the experience of other regions to develop our future ATM systems, which will be more integrated with global systems, said Wang.

The MoU also states that Airbus will act as a coordinator in terms of extended expertise from some of the ATM players, including Quovadis, Cassidian and German air navigation service provider Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS).

As the first step, five concrete projects have been selected and agreed by both parties to be implemented for the 2010-2012 period, which will pave the way for the long-term cooperation between the two sides.

China Management China