Development aid for five Eastern European countries' air traffic management (ATM) services is being provided by the European Commission and Eurocontrol.
The aid takes the form of a €4.6 million ($5.7 million) grant plus expertise from Eurocontrol, says the air navigation safety organisation.
The countries involved in the Aviation Safety and Air Traffic Control Phase II (ASATC II) project are Albania, Bosnia and Hertzegovina, Croatia, Serbia & Montenegro and the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia.
The aid is coming from a Commission project for developing, reconstructing and stabilising the Balkan region, with the eventual aim of readying it for European Union membership.
The ASATC II project in the region aims to bring the ATM methods and standards into line with those in Eurocontrol member states and enable the Single European Sky project to extend further east.
Over a period of 28 months, Eurocontrol says it plans to assist each country to improve the status of their civil aviation authorities, develop regulations and procedures for aviation safety, and meet international standards on safety management, human resources and business planning.
Source: Flight International
