- Investments aimed at the evolution of air traffic management systems
- The planned initiatives are in line with the European Master Plan for air traffic management and with the European Commission strategy for sustainable and intelligent mobility
Renew and digitalize some infrastructures and systems for air traffic management in Italy. These are the primary goals of the 160 million euro loan granted by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to ENAV, the Italian Air Navigation Service Provider. The Company manages air traffic in Italy through 45 control towers and four area control centers for en-route services.
The loan granted by the EIB will allow ENAV to support some activities included in the Business Plan and that will be carried out in the period 2023-2028.
In particular, the operation concerns the modernization and digitalization of some infrastructures and systems, such as radars, communications, navigation and surveillance systems, as well as the implementation, on some national airports, of digital remote towers.
These initiatives are in line with the most recent European Master Plan for air traffic management, as well as the European Commission's strategy for sustainable and intelligent mobility (2020/789).
Gelsomina Vigliotti, EIB Vice President, said: "With the EIB’s support, ENAV will continue to provide cutting-edge air navigation services in Italy, making a significant contribution to air traffic safety and efficiency – two key pillars of the new EIB loan policy in the transport sector.”
Pasqualino Monti, CEO of the ENAV Group stated: “The contract signed with EIB confirms the international reputation of our Group, capable of expressing technological and operational excellence. The activities covered by the financing are part of a broader plan to renew ENAV's infrastructure and operating model which will allow us to further improve services for the benefit of airlines, passengers and local territories".
The financing contract has a sixteen-year tenor and can be utilized in one or more different tranches, based on ENAV's needs. ENAV will have the right to choose, for each tranche, a fixed or variable interest rate, which will be disclosed at the time of the payment request.
Background information
European Investment Bank (EIB)
The European Investment Bank (EIB) finances projects in four priority areas: infrastructure, innovation, climate and environment, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Between 2019 and 2022, the EIB Group provided €45 billion in financing for projects in Italy.
ENAV SpA
ENAV is the Italian air navigation service provider, ensuring safety and reliability 24/7 for the 2 million flights we handle yearly from the control towers of 45 airports and 4 Area Control Centers (ACC). With a workforce of 4,200, the company provides air navigation services to its numerous customers, the airlines that fly over Italian airspace. Long considered among the European "big five" for operating performance and innovation, ENAV, listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, is a key part of the international Air Traffic Management system. R&D is essential to ENAV, which is why we work with national and international control bodies in the sector. We are also a major player in the development of the Single European Sky.