Take Advantage of the Crisis to Reinvent European Air Traffic Control
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Marc Baumgartner air traffic controller and supervisor at the Geneva en-route air control centre, former president of the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations (IFATCA). Pierre Andribet et Jean-Marc Garot former directors of the EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre. 10th January 2021 Take advantage of the crisis to reinvent European air traffic control. Executive summary of EUROCONTROL and for the initiatives of the European Commission (EC) in the The motivation for writing this article domain. But the fact that international comes from the conviction that, even if on legislation (International Civil Aviation the overall, Air Traffic Control (ATC) in Organisation ICAO) recognizes that every Europe fulfils its role, especially, from a State has complete and exclusive safety standpoint, it is suffering structural sovereignty over the airspace above its inefficiencies that become unbearable with territory explain why these initiatives did the current crisis. An ambitious vision needs not fully succeed. As such the to be developed by the decision makers at EUROCONTROL history is the symbol of States and pan European level (including the these ups and downs of the European European Union EU). Using the current construction. crisis as a starting point, one should significantly improve the efficiency of ATC As underlined by the European Court in Europe both in operational and financial of Auditors, the legislative attempt of the terms in the interest of the airspace users European Commission to reform ATC in and passengers, with a motivating project Europe, with the successive packages of The that users and staff of this industry would Single European Sky (SES) has contributed support. to incremental improvements in the performance and modernisation of the The article provides avenues in order European Air Traffic Management (ATM) to achieve it. system. But it has not generated the Air traffic is unlikely to recover in the expected paradigm change and has not coming months and the organisations sufficiently reduced its fragmentation. The providing air navigation services (Air resulting gridlock is detrimental to European Navigation Services Providers ANSP) in air transport. Europe are facing a “financing wall”. With a While recognising the value of the fixed cost and less traffic, either the States recent EC legislative proposal, the authors subsidise their ANSP or the user charges per of this document propose a more ambitious flight will significantly increase, which approach, based upon the Wise Persons undoubtfully will trigger strong reactions Group Report: a transition towards a pan- from airlines already severely hit by the European ATC with EUROCONTROL crisis. reinvented. The main root reason for the structural The idea is to address fragmentation weaknesses mentioned, is the fragmentation from the operational and technical of the air traffic system in Europe. It has standpoints. been recognised for more than fifty years and was the main rationale for the creation For the latter one, if anything else is done, at least one could choose the Page 1/32 minimum option of common procurement This should foster the harmonisation preferably “« standardised commercial and, even more, the modernisation of products” products for the Communication, operational procedures which are all out of Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) date. infrastructure and common A more ambitious option could be a development/procurement of Air Traffic single service provider for Europe, Management (ATM) systems. reinventing the vision of the founders of A more ambitious option could be to EUROCONTROL. consider the CNS infrastructure as a service In both cases, taking the existing and no longer as an investment and, delegation of control (Maastricht, Zurich therefore, the total virtualisation of ATM and Geneva) as examples, it could easily be systems. Under an “infrastructure manager”, demonstrated that this does not jeopardise with EU funds (a fraction of the money the State’s sovereignty nor its air defence. spent in the SES technology pillar, SESAR, deployment), this could be second genuine In both cases under a stronger political European infrastructure after Galileo. decision maker, the European Union Centrally funded, it would remove Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will retain significant financial risk from the its role as safety manager but there is a need operational units, unbundling operational for a more powerful Network Manager. and financial systems. A single service provider for Europe For the former, as far as the airspace paid by European funds would provide a management is concerned, one can robust financing and relieve the States from implement a top-down design to group Air subsidising their ANSPs. Traffic Control Centres (ACC), User charges will no longer pay the independently from country borders, as was costs but the service. Nevertheless, they will the initial objective of the Functional continue to be collected by the Central Airspace Blocks (FAB). Route Charges Office (CRCO) of EUROCONTROL Page 2/32 Table of content 1. How did we get here? ........................................................................................ 4 1.1 There is no sign of the air transport crisis to diminish .................................................................. 4 1.2 Since the Chicago convention, air traffic control is a public service enabling the “Freedoms of the air” ........................................................................................................................................... 7 1.3 EUROCONTROL history is a concentrate of the ups and downs of the European Union ........... 7 1.4 In Europe, the cost of ATC is fully recovered by user charges..................................................... 9 1.5 The Single European sky was a legislative attempt of the European Commission to reform ATC in Europe ..................................................................................................................................... 11 2. The current situation ...................................................................................... 13 2.1 SES did not achieve its initial objectives as acknowledged by several official reports .............. 13 2.2 The reasons for this gridlock ....................................................................................................... 14 2.3 The gridlock is detrimental to European air transport ................................................................. 15 3. Where do we go from here? ........................................................................... 21 3.1 A Wise Person Group to shape the future ................................................................................... 21 3.2 The EC legislative proposal to implement these ambitions ........................................................ 22 3.3 The authors’ proposal for a transition towards a pan European ATC with EUROCONTROL reinvented .................................................................................................................................... 24 3.4 A new financing scheme ............................................................................................................. 31 3.5 A roadmap for change ................................................................................................................. 31 4. Documents worth reading .............................................................................. 32 Page 3/32 1. How did we get here? in fighting the novel Coronavirus might 1.1 There is no sign of the air bring a cure in form of a vaccine or a transport crisis to diminish treatment, the societal and economic impact The unprecedented impact of the cannot yet be assessed in its full magnitude. COVID 19 crisis created by the SARS The COVID-19 crisis is making all CoV2 Virus on all aspects of our society has industries and businesses go through not spared aviation. Whereas past economic unparalleled times, with the aviation crises were of a punctual and less dramatic industry being one of the worst affected nature, the current crisis will leave its trace (90% traffic reduction during the crisis, and for a much longer duration and, in a much only 50% at the end of August 2020), the deeper way, than anything experienced financial consequences for the various before. Although possible medical progress players are catastrophic. Council International (ACI): The • Even before the crisis, very few airline airports facing insolvency are mainly companies were profitable, and even regional airports which serve - and are fewer have the cash flow to get through integral to - local communities. The this predicament. Despite the support potential ripple-effect upon local some states have provided (worldwide employment and economies is clear. the massive support was in the order of Financial support from Government 120 billion USD) only the strongest will be crucial in averting rising airlines will survive. Vey likely, they geographic inequality and damaged will demand an efficient ATM system social cohesion. At the same time, managed at a European level. larger European airports and hubs are • With a decrease of more than 80% of not immune from the critical financial passenger traffic (or 1.29 Billion risk. They have cut costs to the bone passengers) the airports are hit and have resorted to the financial extremely hard. According to Airports markets to shore up balance sheets and Page 4/32 build emergency war chests. This along