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AEA Wants Faster Progress Towards Single European Sky The Association of European Airlines (AEA) urged European Union heads of state to revitalize the Single European Sky (SES) initiative to rationalize air traffic control. The AEA argues that realization of the Single Sky has become all the more urgent as the environmental debate has gained momentum. While European airlines are successfully containing greenhouse-gas emissions, an estimated 12% of their carbon dioxide output is needlessly caused by inadequate infrastructure. Aircraft are given circuitous routings through fragmented airspace, or instructed to fly at altitudes or speeds where their engines are operating outside their peak efficiency. AEA Secretary General Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus complained that, "While the EU seeks to incorporate aviation into the Emissions Trading Scheme, we are facing the prospect of having to buy permits to fly around in circles waiting for landing slots, or zigzag across the sky from one national airway network to another". The AEA believes the SES project is technically feasible, and that its greatest obstacle is political. Not only does European airspace need to be redesigned, so does its regulatory and institutional framework. "By its very nature, the Single Sky concept requires individual countries to relinquish sovereignty over their airspace and cooperate in one single system", said Mr. Schulte-Strathaus; "it does not make sense for them to continue to exercise that sovereignty through their membership of Eurocontrol." "The Single Sky needs a strong regulator to ensure its economic and environmental performance", he continued. "Through airline liberalization we have a single market on the ground; concepts of nationality in the way airlines do business in Europe have practically vanished. The next logical step is to eliminate the national and administrative frontiers airlines encounter above the ground," Mr. Schulte-Strathaus said. He then added: "Even when taking all the administrative and technical hurdles into consideration, it should be feasible within five years - but it requires political leadership." 07-01-2007. |
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