EC urges 18 member states to make a decisive move towards common airspace management

European Commission announced (10-Jul-2014) it has formally requested Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the UK, members of six different Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs) to improve their FABs, a common airspace arranged around traffic flows rather than state boundaries. FABs are a crucial step towards a more efficient, less costly and less polluting aviation system in Europe.

• FAB implementation: All states should have implemented their FABs by 04-Dec-2012 according to EU regulations. The FAB between Italy, Greece, Cyprus, and Malta (BLUEMED FAB) is still being formally established, whilst the state agreements establishing the FAB between Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia (FABCE), the FAB between Bulgaria and Romania (DANUBE FAB), the FAB between Lithuania and Poland (BALTIC FAB), and the FAB between Spain and Portugal (SOUTHWEST FAB), and the UK/Ireland FAB have come into force;
• FAB progress and SES: Actual progress on these FABs' airspace reorganisations and on the effectiveness of their air navigation services has been slow. With the letters of formal notice the EC requested EU member states to act in order to optimise the implementation of FABs and air navigation services. Moreover, the lack of progress on FABs is holding back the full implementation of the EU's Single European Sky, which in turn generates inefficiencies in the entire European ATM in the range of some 30-40% of total air navigation costs and charges levied in Europe;
• Next steps: After the FAB Europe Central (FABEC) in Apr-2014, now BLUEMED, DANUBE and FABCE are receiving letters of formal notice from the EC. After the release of letters of formal notice, Member States have two months to react and send their considerations. On this basis the European Commission may or may not issue a Reasoned Opinion in accordance with Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

European Commission VP Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, said: "we have to finally overcome national borders in the European airspace. FABs are a necessary, vital component of the Single European Sky. Right now these common airspaces exist only on paper; they are formally established but not yet functional. I urge Member States to step up their ambitions and push forward the implementation of the Single Sky". [more - original PR]