Single European Sky

Single European Sky

Uniform airspace protects the environment, saves costs, and improves processes

The restructuring of the European airspace is long overdue and has been lagging behind since the first presentation of the concept for the unification of the European airspace in 2004. With the EU Commission’s reform plans for European airspace, the ‘Single European Sky’ (SES) could finally be realized. The SES has long been demanded by BARIG and other international aviation associations as it provides for a more efficient and climate-friendly common airspace management in Europe.  

In today’s situation, aircraft in Europe mostly cannot choose the direct flight route, instead they have to fly detours and zigzag courses to reach their destination because of the inefficient system. This can be avoided with the implementation of a single uniform airspace.

Increased safety, reduced costs, and a positive impact on the environment due to shorter flight paths and, thus, a saving of up to 10% in emissions would be a clearly measurable result. In addition, flight duration would be reduced; and unnecessary, system-related delays and holding patterns could be avoided.

The objectives are clear. Now the EU member states have to follow up their announcements with actions. BARIG demands that the system of the ‘patchwork in the sky,’ which has been completely outdated for years, has to be replaced as quickly as possible by a single uniform airspace and the correspondingly further developed air traffic control—to support climate protection as well as the associated necessary efficiency and cost reduction, which is needed more urgently than ever in the aviation industry. So far, the implementation of the SES has failed due to national impediments; these must now be resolved in close cooperation between all system partners involved.

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