Airspace managed on an international cooperative basis
To create the desired Single European Sky, the continent’s national authorities and air navigation service providers will need to ensure that the airspace concerned is managed through a process of international collaboration. Skyguide already works together with its counterparts in Switzerland’s neighbouring countries; and, in doing so, it is already laying the foundation for tomorrow’s "functional airspace blocks".
It was back in 2003 that the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers formally adopted the European Commission’s Single European Sky (SES) initiative to enhance the operation and thus the performance and efficiency of the continent’s air navigation services. One of the cornerstones of the SES programme is the creation of “functional airspace blocks” or FABs – airspace areas that no longer follow national borders (as they largely do at present) but are organised supranationally in accordance with the actual needs of the aviation community.
The Functional Airspace Block Europe Central (FABEC) in outline.
Skyguide has long been aware that such functional airspace blocks can only be created through partnerships with other air navigation service providers. And, in view of this, skyguide has continued to cultivate and further develop its existing bilateral collaborations with its counterparts in neighbouring countries.
FAB Europe Central
In identifying the benefits of a joint functional airspace block in the heart of Europe (FABEC) in terms of airspace capacity, operating efficiency and potential cost savings for both civil and military users, the FABEC feasibility study presented in July 2008 clearly shows that the FABEC project is not only feasible, it is necessary. After the signature, in November 2008, of a declaration of intent by the six participating States (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland), and of an agreement between their respective air navigation service providers and Eurocontrol, the FABEC project is getting into its implementation phase.
Further information
- European Commission - Functional airspace blocks
- CANSO-ETF Conference on Functional Airspace Blocks (8-9 Oct. 2007, Paris): joint statement and presentations