The Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (BARIG), the association of international and German airlines operating in Germany, expressively endorses the European Commission’s plans to reform the European airspace as announced this week. The “Single European Sky,” an endeavor that has long been advocated by BARIG and other international aviation associations, as well as a more efficient, uniform air traffic control in Europe may finally be achieved with this reform.

In the current practice, aircraft in Europe usually cannot fly a direct and straight route; due to an inefficient system, they have to take unnecessary detours to reach their destination. The envisaged standardization will eliminate such excessive zig-zag courses ­– with positive consequences in various areas. Experts assume that the shorter flight routes will reduce CO2 emissions by several million tons per year. In addition to that, flight durations are lowered and system-related unnecessary delays, as well as waiting loops can be avoided.

BARIG secretary general, Michael Hoppe, comments: “We welcome the project of EU Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean as it revives the dynamics of this important topic for climate protection and efficiency. The course has been set, now the EU member states must finally take the actual steps to follow these announcements. Today’s anachronistic system of a ‘patchwork quilt in the sky’ must be replaced as soon as possible by a Single European Sky and the respective enhancement of air traffic control – for the sake of climate protection, as well as for the efficiency and cost reduction that are more urgently needed than ever in the air transport industry.”