Brussels, 21/04/2010 (Agence Europe) - The paralysis of air traffic and the closure of a large section of European airspace following the eruption on Wednesday 14 April 2010 of the Eyjafjöll volcano in Iceland (spewing out tonnes of volcanic dust) may speed through the introduction of a Single European Sky, argued Helen Kearns, spokesperson for the EU Transport Commissioner, on Wednesday 21 April. She announced that before the end of the year, the scam will be unveiling draft legislation to boost air traffic control in Europe. Part of the second package of Single European Sky legislation, the new rules will modernise and unite air traffic control (currently controlled by the Member States) and define the role of an air traffic control network manager (see EUROPE 9689) to be appointed by 2012 to coordinate air traffic control in each of the nine operational areas of European airspace (FAB). Under the Single European Sky rules, European airspace will be divided into nine FABs by January 2012 (see EUROPE 9648). In the past, European airspace has always been divided along national border lines rather than in line with the operational needs of air traffic management.
In its draft legislation, the scam will consider giving the network managers powers which were held in the past by countries, like air traffic control and managing and deciding on routes to ensure efficient use of airspace. The network manager may become a new type of body to made air traffic control in the EU a European issue. The current situation has demonstrated the need to made decisions on a wider basis than simply individual air traffic control units. It remains to be seen how far the role of the network managers will be 'Europeanised' because it has not yet decided whether their decisions will be binding and what form they will take. Several options are under study. EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas will submit comments to the College of EU Commissioners on Tuesday 27 April 2010. The ideal scenario would be the creation of an EU air traffic control structure along the lines of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States. Another scenario would simply continue the current reforms of Eurocontrol (the European Air Traffic Control and Safety Organisation) to incorporate it more fully into EU structures. Eurocontrol is currently an intergovernmental body that is independent of the EU but has power to implement national air traffic control decisions. It comprises EU Member States and eleven other countries, including Turkey and the Ukraine, which means it would be difficult to turn it into an EU organisation. The third scenario under consideration is giving some of Eurocontrol's powers to the scam.
According to the scam, the measures taken on Monday at EU level have already started to bear fruit and air traffic in Europe has continued to pick up. Around 80% of flights (21,000) should be running on Wednesday across Europe, with flight bans remaining only for parts of Scotland and southern Iceland, explained Kearns. Recent Eurocontrol forecasts suggest that the whole of lower airspace (up to 20,000 feet) is accessible for European aviation, apart from a few restrictions in Southern Sweden and around Helsinki, the Finnish capital, which are due to be lifted later on Wednesday. (A. By. trans fl)