Tern Systems Achieves Successful SAT for Polaris ATM System at Cranfield Airport

Tern Systems is proud to announce the successful completion of Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) for our complete Polaris ATM System at Cranfield Airport.

This achievement brings Cranfield Airport one step closer to making the leap from procedural-only to full surveillance control. Working in close collaboration with our project partner, EASAT Radar Systems, this system is designed to equip Cranfield’s Air Traffic Controllers with the tools necessary to manage complex airspace with higher efficiency and safety.

To ensure the upcoming transition is seamless, our engineering team worked side-by-side with Cranfield controllers directly in the remote tower, refining the system interface in real time to adapt to their exact operational workflows and daily user feedback.

That collaborative effort culminated in intensive testing where the entire integrated system passed all Site Acceptance Testing requirements without issue. By seamlessly ingesting and processing high-precision surveillance data from EASAT’s new Primary and Secondary Surveillance Radar setup, Polaris demonstrated its ability to provide controllers with a rich, real-time digital picture of the local airspace.

Once operational, moving to surveillance-based tactical control will enable controllers to separate arriving aircraft by distance rather than time, significantly boosting airport capacity while giving controllers clear visibility of non-participating aircraft in the vicinity. Beyond immediate operational gains, this milestone establishes a foundational platform for Cranfield University to advance world-class research into complex air mobility and Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) integration.

We extend our sincere thanks to the Cranfield and EASAT teams for their close partnership, as well as the entire Tern Systems team whose dedication brought us through a successful SAT. As controllers prepare for live training, we look forward to the upcoming deployment that will see Polaris power the next generation of air traffic management.

Tern Systems Joins SESAR Joint Undertaking as Full Member

We are proud to announce our transition to a full member of the SESAR Joint Undertaking (SESAR JU), marking a significant milestone in our long-standing commitment to modernizing Air Traffic Management (ATM).

The SESAR JU recently welcomed us alongside three other new members, Avinor, NAV CANADA, and Unifly, expanding the partnership to 59 organizations. This expansion strengthens SESAR's push toward delivering the Digital European Sky, a critical initiative for creating a more competitive, resilient, and sustainable aviation infrastructure across Europe and globally.

A Strong Foundation for Global Collaboration

We have been a dedicated partner of SESAR JU for the past years, actively contributing to its research and innovation activities. Elevating our relationship to full membership reflects our continued confidence in SESAR’s partnership model, which unites industry leaders, operational actors, academia, and innovators.

"SESAR has created one of Europe’s most important innovation ecosystems, bringing together ANSPs, industry, researchers, and regulators to solve common challenges and accelerate the modernization of Air Traffic Management," said Magnús Már Þórðarson, our CEO. "We are proud to join this collaborative effort and contribute to building a more open, interoperable, and innovative ATM ecosystem for Europe."

Leading Next-Generation Research

Our full membership coincides with an intensive period of research and development for us. This upcoming fall, we will contribute to five research projects through the SESAR framework, further cementing our role as a key innovator in the ATM sector.

The flagship initiative among these is the NOMAD project, which we will be actively leading. As the coordinator of this major project, we will lead a consortium of 17 partners to develop a new generation of air traffic management platform built around cloud technology, automation, cybersecurity, and real-time data sharing. Our goal is to enable air navigation service providers to adapt capacity dynamically to traffic demand while reducing delays, emissions, and operational complexity.

By participating in these research projects and stepping into our role as a full SESAR JU member, we are uniquely positioned to help shape a safer, more efficient, and connected sky for the future.

About SESAR JU

The SESAR Joint Undertaking (SESAR JU) is a European public-private partnership responsible for modernizing Europe’s air traffic management (ATM) system. It was established by the European Union to coordinate research, development, and deployment of technologies that improve how aircraft move through European airspace. SESAR stands for Single European Sky ATM Research.

For more information - https://www.sesarju.eu/news/new-members-further-strengthen-sesar-jus-push-next-generation-air-traffic-management

Tern Systems’ Polaris ATM System as Operational Backup at HungaroControl

Tern Systems, a leading provider of Air Traffic Management software, announces that its Polaris ATM system has  entered operational service as the backup system for HungaroControl.

Following the successful completion of the Site Acceptance Test in late 2025 the system has undergone rigorous site integration. This deployment marks a critical milestone in the multi-year partnership between the Icelandic software developer and the Hungarian Air Navigation Service Provider.

The Polaris system is designed to handle high-density traffic environments, providing a modern, secure, and highly configurable interface for air traffic controllers. The Hungarian configuration includes 6 separate instances of the system with over 160 workstations, and additionally a training system capable of running 7 simultaneous training sessions. All backend servers are hosted in VMWare clusters and are dual redundant. By deploying Polaris as a backup, HungaroControl ensures a seamless layer of redundancy, maintaining safety and continuity in one of Europe’s most complex airspaces, including the Hungarian upper airspace and the NATO-assigned KFOR sector over Kosovo.

"The transition of Polaris to live backup status is a significant achievement for our engineering teams. Since 2020, we have worked closely with Tern Systems to ensure this platform aligns with the specific safety and performance requirements of our operations," says Gábor Szabó, ATM System Development Engineer Expert at HungaroControl "This go-live provides us with a resilient, future-ready solution that enhances our ability to manage high-pressure tactical environments with confidence."

HungaroControl joined Tern Systems as a key development partner in 2020, contributing operational expertise alongside Avians. This collaborative approach has allowed the Polaris system to evolve beyond a standard off-the-shelf product into a highly adaptable solution tailored to the needs of modern ANSPs.

"Moving into live operations at HungaroControl is the ultimate validation of the Polaris platform," says Magnus Thordarson, CEO of Tern Systems. "Our goal has always been to deliver a system that balances advanced functionality with ease of use. Seeing Polaris go live in Budapest is a testament to the strength of our partnership and our shared commitment to aviation safety and innovation."

Tern Systems designs and builds ATM software solutions with nearly three decades of experience. With headquarters in Iceland and regional offices in Hungary and Poland, Tern Systems provides mission-critical solutions to customers across Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Africa.

HungaroControl is the Air Navigation Service Provider of Hungary, providing air navigation services in Hungarian airspace and the upper airspace over Kosovo. The company is a global leader in ATM innovation, focusing on flight safety, capacity increases, and environmental efficiency.