JUSTIN WASTNAGE / LONDON
Eurocontrol moves to allay controller fears as unions criticise work allocation and central charge collection plans
Eurocontrol has launched a series of meetings with air traffic control (ATC) unions in an attempt to forestall any delay to the eight-nation Central European Air Traffic Services (CEATS) upper airspace project. Controllers in several central European countries are threatening to delay the operational definition phase of the project unless changes are made to the work allocation and en route charging formulas.
Austria approved funds last month to construct a unified centre in Vienna, which is set to take over all traffic above FL285 (28,500ft/8,700m) over Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Slovenia from 2008. Dalibor Jovanovic, the Slovenia civil aviation authority's ATC president, says it is unlikely that CEATS will meet the strict timeline without controllers' co-operation, and that goodwill has broken down as a result of several proposals being rejected without consideration. Controllers are also concerned about the long-term viability of national centres once navigational charges are collected centrally.
Eurocontrol held a preliminary meeting with representatives of the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations last month and expects "more structured" regular meetings to correct several "misconceptions about the organisational structure" over the next few months. The CEATS management team at Eurocontrol says: "Communication with controllers has not always been our strong point", but adds that the agency wants to "work closely with the unions...so that we at Eurocontrol fully understand the human resources implications of CEATS".
Jovanovic says Eurocontrol refused to consider a proposal drawn up by five of the states to use a "virtual centre" to carry out the planned Vienna facility's mission. This would consist of using the existing national control centres connected via secure high speed datalinks, and would be similar to an idea proposed for a joint Balkans upper airspace control centre.
Air traffic controllers are due to start contributing to operational discussions this year, and many are expected to apply for work at the new centre when posts become available later this year.
Source: Flight International
