4th Florence Air Forum. Consolidating the Single European Sky: From Physical to Virtual

Europe is facing increasing competition from other areas of the world, forcing the continent to grow together and offer easy journey between different points. Air transport plays an important role for cross-continental travel, but projections by the European Commission suggest that under current conditions the European airspace and airports will lack the capacity to satisfy the needs of increasing air traffic. The Single European Sky (SES) aims at reducing delays, increasing safety, reducing the environmental impact, and reducing costs related to service provision. It contributes to these goals by de-fragmenting the European airspace, and creating a more efficient air traffic management (ATM) system. An important tool to decrease the fragmentation of the European airspace and enhance cooperation among air navigation service providers (ANSPs) are the Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs).

ANSPs, in turn, are in need for a new business model and some stakeholders discuss the possibility of creating a common infrastructure approach (data centres, airspace management). The idea behind the common infrastructure approach is to create air traffic services units operating from different locations which use a common standardised interface. This is based on two pillars: standardised methods of operation, procedures and open systems enabling the download of licensed applications at the controller’s workplaces and the build up of several data centres over Europe which might finally lead to a security protected information cloud. The standardisation should reach such an extent, that the airspace user perceives it as a single system. A common infrastructure approach grants freedom and adjustments to local needs, while acting as one integrated body. Could this be a model to solve the current standoff?

Stakeholders – operators, authorities, the European Commission, associations and academics – are invited discuss the current state of the SES and the possibility of creating a common infrastructure approach. The discussions will be centred on the following guiding questions:

• Why is the SES only progressing slowly?
• Can a common infrastructure approach bring the Single European Sky forward?
• What steps need to be taken to define a harmonized regulatory framework to implement a common infrastructure approach?

For more information please contact FSR.transport@eui.eu

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Final Programme

EUROPEAN TRANSPORT REGULATION OBSERVER

Summary of the presentations

RELATED PRESENTATIONS

Introduction to the 4th Florence Air Forum – MATTHIAS FINGER 

A Proposal for a Common Infrastructure Approach – DANIEL WEDER

The Perspective of an ANSP on the slow progress of the SES – MASSIMO GARBINI

Airports’ perspectvie on the slow progress of the SES – STEFANO BARONCI 

An Analytical Perspective on the SES – ANDREW CHARLTON

Lufthansa’s Perspectvie on the slow progress of the SES – REGULA DETTLING-OTT

CANSO’s perspective on a common infrastructure approach – PAUL RIEMENS

Eurocontrol’s perspective on a common infrastructure approach – JOE SULTANA

The Performance Review Body on a Common Infrastructure Approach – MARC BAUMGARTNER

The German Air Traffic Control on a Harmonised Regulatory Framework – KLAUS-DIETER SCHEURLE

SESAR’s perspective on a Harmonized Regulatory Framework – CARLO MARIA BORGHINI

The British Civil Aviation Authority on a Harmonised Regulatory Framework – ANDREW HAINES