On the 11th of September 2019, during the “Digital European Sky – High Level Conference on the Future of the Single European Sky”, organised by the European Commission and the Finnish Presidency, 21 aviation stakeholders, including IFATCA and with the collaboration of GATCO, signed the joint declaration on the future of the Single European Sky renewing their commitment to the Single European Sky and to improving the European airspace.

The declaration highlights that the way the ATM network in Europe is operated has created capacity problems, resulting in delays of a magnitude not seen for more than a decade and hindering the ability of the European ATM system to prepare effectively for a future of increasing air traffic. In addition, this challenging environment is making it more difficult for aviation to make progress in the environmental sustainability of the industry.

The 21 stakeholders signing the declaration commit to:

  • All actors in the aviation value chain to intensify efforts to realise the full environmental benefit of the Single European Sky.
  • Operational ATM stakeholders to engage in the implementation of an airspace architecture transition plan as an integral part of the ATM Master Plan and to play a proactive role in the implementation of measures to improve the ATM network as a whole.
  • Staff organisations, in cooperation and in negotiation with their employers, with the support of the European Commission, European Aviation Safety Agency and the Member States, to develop a roadmap on the human role in facilitating the transition to the new digital ATM environment while addressing the future requirements for pilots, air traffic controllers, air traffic safety electronics personnel and other relevant ATM staff training and licencing.
  • The Network Manager to continue to work closely with operational stakeholders on developing and applying measures to address short-term capacity bottlenecks and to mitigate delays in the network while continuously optimising the functioning of the network, including large and small nodes, when necessary.
  • All ATM stakeholders to ensure timely industrialisation and implementation of interoperable technological solutions, where appropriate on the basis of common standards, in collaboration with the relevant institutions.

In addition, the stakeholders call upon:

  • The European institutions on one hand and the Member States individually on the other hand to consider the steps necessary to achieve the goals of the Single European Sky, assessing their potential impact, costs and benefits.
  • The European institutions to simplify the regulatory framework and the institutional set-up to make the European ATM fit for purpose, allowing it to respond to present and future needs.

You can read the entire declaration here.