Problems with 'Single European Sky'

Transport Posted on 15/10/2012

•  
•  
•  

The 'first priority' of European Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas, the Single European Sky project is failing to deliver as progress is too slow and limited, according to Breaking Travel News.

The project aims to develop a system that uses nine regional blocks to manage air traffic control, as opposed to the 27 airspaces of the member states of the EU that are currently in place.

It is believed that the new system would lead to improved coordination, reduced costs, less emissions, and less delays. According to the Aero News Network, the system currently in place costs $6.5million more than it would if the airspaces of all member states were coordinated into nine regions. These excess costs are in turn transmitted to the passengers, as the costs of Air traffic Control make up 12 percent of the price of a plane ticket.

Kallas claims that the slow progress is a result of reluctance on the part of the member states to commit fully to the new system of nine regional airspaces as this would mean ceding a certain amount of control over their own airspaces.

The Transport Commissioner has urged member states to commit to the plans and to speed up the delivery of this new system, warning that countries who do not comply may face court action at EU level.

•  
•  
•  

In brief : Transport

• easyJet says smaller hand luggage 16/05/2013

  With checked-in baggage costing upwards of £15 per item on budget airlines, it is hardly surprising that these days passengers opt to take advantage of

• Eurostar penalises travellers with bikes 15/05/2013

  Originally, the first change meant a flat fee of 29 euros for bikes deemed too large to carry onboard. However, the latest changes mean that Eurostar customers

• BMI launches 7 new routes from UK 14/05/2013

  As of yesterday, passengers travelling with BMI Regional will have the chance to travel to a total of seven new destinations across Europe as the airline