EMMA KELLY / BRUSSELS
Eurocontrol is working to bring airspace capacity in line with traffic demand with the aim of a single European sky
Reduced vertical separation minima (RVSM), which was introduced on 24 January in 41 European and North African states, is a crucial element in Europe's battle to cope with ever-rising traffic levels. But it is just one step in a three-phase programme designed to lead to the European Commission's (EC) and Eurocontrol's vision of a single European sky.
RVSM introduced 1,000ft (300m) vertical separation standards between aircraft, rather than the traditional 2,000ft separation standard, from flight level (FL) 290 (29,000ft) to FL410. RVSM creates six new flight levels, a move set to result in a 20% increase in airspace capacity by this summer, according to air navigation organisation Eurocontrol, which managed Europe's RVSM implementation (Flight International, 29 January - 4 February).
Air traffic in Europe has increased on average by 7.4% per annum since 1980 and has grown every year, except immediately after the Gulf War and 11 September, says Wolfgang Philipp, Eurocontrol's senior director air traffic management (ATM) programme. "We are convinced that we will overcome the post-11 September decrease in traffic and we still expect traffic to double by 2015 from 1998," says Philipp. "Traffic growth goes on and we have to meet traffic demand. It [2015] is a long way away, but when you look at lead times in complex ATM systems, tomorrow is already today," he says.
Philipp concedes that the additional 20% provided by RVSM will be "eaten up in the short term", but the programme fits into a much wider strategy designed to safely increase capacity in Europe by 2010. Eurocontrol's strategy is based on developing a seamless, pan-European ATM system. "We cannot go on with a patchwork of systems and boundaries - we need one sky for Europe," says Philipp.
Eurocontrol's ATM strategy comprises three capacity-raising periods. Phase one, from 2000 to 2005, is based on increasing the efficiency of airspace use, resulting in a capacity gain of 40%. This will involve the use of best practices, better organisation of airspace and improved management of people and resources, more computer resources for controllers and preparing air traffic control (ATC) systems for further integration.
RVSM is a major component of phase one, while other programmes already implemented include the installation of airborne collision avoidance systems on aircraft and several improvements to the air traffic services network. Improvements yet to be implemented include enhanced flow management, improved flight data processing and a series of actions to support better use of airspace, says Philipp. Capacity should rise because existing technical systems, air routes and procedures are optimised, he adds.
The second phase - between 2005 and 2010 - will focus on technical integration and is intended to lead to a 20-40% capacity gain. Philipp says this will be achieved through the integration of IT systems, a better exchange of information between IT systems, more effective IT tools for controllers and pilots, more accurate information about aircraft position, better prediction of aircraft routeing conflicts, the transfer of some decisions from the ground to the cockpit and the optimum use of airport capacity. In this phase, capacity will rise because systems and procedures become compatible between different ATC centres and between the ground and the cockpit, says Philipp.
In step three - 2010-2015 - the focus will be on creating one sky for Europe. Capacity gains of up to 40% are expected from re-allocating control tasks between people and machines, moving key control tasks from the ground to the cockpit, integrating air-ground data communications and processing and introducing advanced IT tools. Programmes will include automatic dependent surveillance, free routes, precision area navigation, advanced controlling tools and gate-to-gate concepts, says Philipp. "Capacity rises because a seamless data system links all aircraft with one another and with the ground, and routeing decisions can thus safely be taken in the cockpit," he says.
One of the end goals is the introduction of free routes which will allow aircraft to follow the most direct path between their departure and arrival points, eliminating the need for fixed route networks in the upper airspace. These plans are maturing, says George Paulson, Eurocontrol's director of safety, airspace, airports and informationservices. The free route concept, whereby above a certain altitude flights can be freely planned on their optimum tracks, will initially be introduced in the Benelux states, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland in 2005/6. Eurocontrol's free route roadmap will be finalised shortly, with plans to be taken to the Eurocontrol council in November, says director general Victor Aguado.
He believes that Eurocontrol's successful implementation of RVSM paves the way for it to implement future European-wide capacity-enhancing programmes, eventually leading to one sky for Europe. RVSM involved 41 countries, 6,000 air traffic controllers at 65 centres, almost 10,000 aircraft, 100,000 pilots and 2,300 aircraft operators. Its implementation relied solely on the co-operation of participants - Eurocontrol does not possess any enforcement powers.
He adds: "RVSM is a great example for us, it shows we have the capability. If we have political power behind us we can implement the single European sky." Future Europe-wide programmes, however, will require Eurocontrol to be backed by powers of enforcement and for this the EC must be a member of the air navigation organisation. EC membership has been a long road, however, first proposed in Eurocontrol's revised convention of 1997. That revised convention has never been fully ratified and the EC's membership of Eurocontrol has been held up by a long-running dispute between the UK and Spain over Gibraltar.
"There will be no single European sky without the ratification of the revised convention and the EC joining Eurocontrol. There won't be a single European sky without Eurocontrol as we are the ones who can make it reality," says Aguado. The accession protocol for the EC should be finalised this month and as soon as the Gibraltar dispute is resolved, Aguado believes that the EC can join quickly after: "The UK and Spain want to find a solution before the summer so we hope that accession will be a reality soon."
Source: Flight International
