Brussels, 05/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - Although the European Commission is preparing to take action to encourage member states to respect their commitments regarding the setting up of the Single European Sky (SES), especially the new Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs) (see EUROPE 10744), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is proving just as impatient and has criticised member states. Adopting the same tone as the rest of the air transport sector (see EUROPE 10744), the director-general of IATA, Tony Tyler, declared that “whilst the FAB agreements are mostly in place, there are no signs of real consolidation or efficiencies of scale. EU member states have paid lip-service to European legislators and turned this key reform into an administrative box-ticking exercise and continue to operate their ANSPs in silos”. He suggested that the Commission ensure that member states that have not respected their commitments to the Single European Sky are made accountable. This is actually what the Commission is preparing to do because letters of formal notice, announcing infringement procedures, are going to be sent out to these states. Tony Tyler added that “reaching the SES targets, while challenging, is technically feasible. Only a lack of political will is getting in the way”. (MD/transl.fl)