Airline association applauds example set by European transport committee
The Single European Sky (SES) project received support from a European parliamentary committee yesterday (December 9).
The European Parliament's Transport and Tourism committee (TRAN) voted in favour of SES package II, a "vital piece of legislation" affecting European Air Traffic Management (ATM).
The International Air Carrier Association (IACA), representing 34 airlines, said the vote "sets a good precedent" for EU Member States to follow.
Sylviane Lust, IACA director general, said: "Yesterday's vote is good news for airlines, passengers and the environment.
"Currently all have to carry the burden to pay for the inefficiencies in the European Air Traffic Management system in terms of time, fuel burn and money."
The IACA praised the SES package for its proposed Air Navigation Service (ANS) performance targets and Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs).
Currently ANS providers such as air traffic controllers operate within national borders. SES II seeks to increase efficiency by restructuring airspace into FABs by 2011.
"It is particularly encouraging that a performance related system is at the heart of the package. This will help to re-balance the monopolistic behaviour of ATM services and reduce inefficiencies," said Ms Lust.
The IACA quoted ATM costs amounting to €8 billion for airlines within the Eurocontrol zone, twice as much as in US airspace.
According to the IACA, SES II could help reduce congestion and aviation CO2 emissions up to 12%.
Ms Luste added: "Such is the importance of this project to the future of European aviation and the environment, we urge EU Member States to make sure the SES II legislation is adopted swiftly along the lines of the TRAN vote.
"The benefits of achieving a Single European Sky quickly are plain to see."
Lufthansa, Swiss and KLM, as well as the Association of European Airlines (AEA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), have all spoken out in favour of SES.
Peter Hartman, AEA chairman, described Europe's air traffic management system as a "morass of inefficiency" which wastes fuel.
www.iaca.be www.eurocontrol.int/ses
www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/tran_home_en.htm