Brussels, 29/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - European airports are finding it difficult to set up an instrument to enhance operational efficiency, as promoted since 2008 by Eurocontrol (European Organisation for the Safety of Aviation) and the Airports Council International (ACI). Such a situation recalls to mind the poor progress made by member states in building the European Single Sky, as bemoaned by the European Commission last week (see EUROPE N.10503). The Airport Collaborative Decision-Making (A-CDM) is supposed to make airports more efficient by allowing all stakeholders to share information and data in real time, thus creating better interaction between airport operators, air traffic control and airlines on the ground. Setting the system in place would make it possible to reduce delays and congestion problems, as well as CO2 emissions. However, only four airports have now fully implemented A-CDM and an additional 22 are in the process of doing so. While the 2011 target was to have 10 airports fully implemented, several external factors have slowed down implementation at some airports. These include the financial crisis and difficulties in updating and integrating IT systems, a crucial enabler of A-CDM. ACI Europe and Eurocontrol expressed concern about this during their annual event, “Airport Exchange”, in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday 29 November. (MD/transl.jl)