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Single European Sky II

FACT SHEET NO.: Cat-No.4 / Subcat-No.4.5-2

General Information

Title

FACT SHEET NO.: Cat-No.4 / Subcat-No.4.5-2

Category

4. Internal market

Subcategory

4.5 Internal Market (intramodal): air

Transport policy measure (TPM)

Single European Sky II

Description of TPM

The Single European Sky (SES) is an initiative to reform the architecture of the European air traffic control to meet future capacity and safety needs.Since the introduction of the Single European Sky (SES I, EC (549/2004)) package in 2004 much has happened, but it has not delivered the expected results, as e.g. the process of integrating functional airspace blocks, regardless of national borders, has been confronted with political and economic hurdles. In addition, the member states have not taken steps towards the necessary cost efficiency which will be intensified by adjusted regulations (chargin scheme) [1]
During the years of SES I, the ATM (Air Traffic Management) situation has changed - whilst safety and capacity are still major issues, an additional great emphasis has been put on environment and cost efficiency under a less prescriptive approach in the new SES II. [5]
A massive increase in demand for air transport is straining the capacity of the aviation infrastructure and the (historical induced) fragmentation of air traffic management hinders the optimal use of capacity. In addition, unused capacities induce unnecessary financial burden for aviation management. Furthermore, safety requirements have to be improved and environmental awareness is putting pressure on aviation and its environmental performance.
To tackle these challenges, the Commission elaborated and updated a package of proposals:
- Performance scheme: Set up by the EC through the adoption of regulation 691/2010 laying down a performance scheme for air navigation services and network functions. [10]
- Network management: Route network design, management of scarce resources, traffic flow management and slot coordination & allocation, management of network technologies resulting from SESAR, coordination of technologies & their procurement - Performance regulation / Network management / Technical updates to regulations [4]
- Integration of service provision: Support initiatives to set up functional airspace blocks (FAB) by setting firm deadlines (end 2012), extending the scope of lower airspace to the airport, clearing national legal and institutional obstacles [10]
- New technologies: Provision and implementation of SESAR (SES ATM Research), implementation of new operational concept
- Safety: European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA est.2002): Expand its competence to airports, air traffic management and air navigation services
- Managing capacity on airports: Implementation of an action plan for airport capacity, efficiency and safety COM(2006)819 [1]

Implementation examples

Not yet implemented

Objectives of TPM

In general: SES II sets the community framework to improve the performance and the sustainability of the European aviation system.
- Improvement of the air traffic managment (ATM): Establish a sustainable aviation (air pollutants, noise emissions) by shortening flight routes and optimizing flight profiles (through reduced fragmentation by establishing functional airspace blocks (FAB)) [1].
- Improve the performance of air navigation services (ANS): safety, flight efficiency, capacity/delays, cost efficiency.

Choice of transport mode / Multimodality

No direct change, but potential modal shift of passengers from competing high speed rail services in competition

Origin and/or destination of trip

No key change

Trip frequency

No key change

Choice of route

Significant enhancement by the implementation of 9 functional airspace blocks (FAB)

Timing (day, hour)

No key change

Occupancy rate / Loading factor

No key change

Energy efficiency / Energy usage

Significant improvements regarding energy efficiency due to a decrease of energy usage expected

Main source

[1] European Commission (2008): Communication from the Commission - Single European Sky II: towards more sustainable and and better performing aviation. COM(2008)389
[2] European Commission press release (2010): New Regulation on Single European Sky charging to make flying cheaper and more performing
[3] European Commission (2009): II Single European Sky package - Regulation 1070/2009
[4] European Commission : Slide presentation SES II - Aviation package
[5] European Commission: SES II Information KIT - Fiche I: What it brings to Europe?
[6] Eurocontrol / Performance Review Commission (2008): Evaluation of FAB initiatives
[7] European Commission: SES II Information KIT - Fiche V: A Safer Sky with EASA
[8] European Commission: SES II Information KIT - Fiche VI: Aviation and environment
[9] European Commission: SES II Information KIT - Fiche IX: In the context of an ecomic downturn
[10] SkyBrary, available under http://www.skybrary.aero, initiated by the European Organisation for Safety of Air Navigation - Eurocontrol
[11] European Commission (2009): Regulation 1108/2009 amending regulation EC 216/2008 in the field of aerodromes, air traffic management and air navigation services
[12] European Commission: (2008): Impact assessment; Proposal for a regulation. Improve the performance and sustainability of the European Aviation system. COM(2008)2093

Traffic Impacts

Passengers 

         

Transport operators 

           

Unassigned 

         

Travel or transport time

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Risk of congestion

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Vehicle mileage

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Service and comfort

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Overall impacts on social groups

Implementation phase

Operation phase

Summary / comments concerning the main impacts

- Establishing SES II incl. FABs will reduce the number of delays by decreasing the travel time / increase the flight efficiency (lower risk of congestion, decrease of vehicle mileage) for passengers and operators; in addition this increases the service and comfort for aviation passengers in general.
- Significant flight efficiency improvements due to the reduction of route extensions (decreasing vehicle mileage) between and within participating countries [6]

Quantification of impacts

- FAB: Annual benefits as % of 2006 total economic costs between 2 % and 37 % [6]
- Average route extension in Europe is about 50km per flight in Europe [12]
- Potential impacts of FABs by improved routing: between FABs 26%, between States 11% , within States 63% [6]

Economic Impacts

Passengers 

         

Transport operators 

           

Unassigned 

         

Transport costs

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Private income / commercial turn over

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Revenues in the transport sector

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sectoral competitiveness

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Spatial competitiveness

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Housing expenditures

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Insurance costs

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Health service costs

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Public authorities & adm. burdens on businesses

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Public income (e.g.: taxes, charges)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Third countries and international relations

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Overall impacts on social groups

Implementation phase

- High implementation costs of SES II have to be expected for public bodies

Operation phase

- In operation SES II will increase the cost efficiency for all involved participants.

Summary / comments concerning the main impacts

- Flight efficiency will increase due to implementation of FABs, hence transport costs for operators and time for passengers will decrease [12] [EE]
- FABs/Usage of scarce sources (e.g. Radio frequencies) will help to improve the cost efficiency of air navigation services (ANS) and ATM, hence administrative work of these public authorities will be diminished and public income will increase. Costs inefficiencies for Europe are estimated at 2bn € (2005), approximately 20% of the total costs. [12] [EE]
- Setting regional FAB level performance targets and allocation accountability will reduce the number of local target setting procedures (Higher revenues for airspace navigation service providers (ANSP)), foster cooperation among ANSPs in the relevant FABs, encourage joint initiatives between ANSPs and limit opportunities of pushing issues to the neighbour (decrease of sectoral / spatial competitiveness) and enhance the collective accountability [6]
- SES II incentivise cost-efficiency by implementing a performance scheme [9]
- SES II respectively the new regulation on the charging of air navigation services (OJEU L333) will abolish the "automatic full costs recovery mechanism" for ANSP to enable cost-efficiency improvements [2] which will lead to better performances, cost containment and cost efficiency, which highers the public income [9] as the ANSPs are corporatised monopolies [12]
- The aviation equipment industry (electronical / data systems) must ensure the swift introduction of new technologies [12]
-3rd level impact: If aviation becomes more safe, then insurance costs can decline (on the long run).

Quantification of impacts

- Costs inefficiency accounts app 4.4 bn€/year [4]

Social Impacts
Environmental Impacts

Passengers 

         

Transport operators 

           

Unassigned 

         

Air pollutants

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Noise emissions

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Visual quality of the landscape

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Land use

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Climate

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Renewable or non-renewable resources

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Overall impacts on social groups

Implementation phase

Operation phase

Summary / comments concerning the main impacts

- Optimisation of network management and flight-efficiency by FAB by better organisation of the turnaround process (waiting time, in-time gate allocation, ground-handling, services) affects residents and society (less air pollutants and noise emissions) positively and decreases the usage of energy / resources.
- The cut of flight inefficiencies lead to a more effiecient usage of resources (save fuel) and lowers the GHG emissions [12]
- It is impossible to evaluate exactly how much in the way of emissions will be avoided in practice (by efficiency gains), but the potential is more than the proportional increase in traffic since congestion will occur without SES II. [12]
- SES II respectively the new regulation on the charging of air navigation services (OJEU L333) abolishs the" automatic full costs recovery mechanism" for ANSP and set incentives for ANSPs and users to improve services and reduce environmental impacts of aviation. [2]

Quantification of impacts

- Optimized ATM in Europe has the potential to significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions by 10% [8]
- 1.5 litres per passenger in average, resulting in a reduction of 5 mio.t CO2 [8]
- Defragmentation of European air space by implementation of FAB with for more direct routing will result in an emission reduction of 2% per year.
- Aviation contributesn to 3% of all CO2 emissions in Europe (2007) [12]
- Eurocontrol’s Performance review Commisson (PRC) report estimates that horizontal flight inefficiencies implicatzed 3.7% additional fuel consumption for 2007. If TMA airborne delays and taxiing delays are included as well, this will lead to an additional 3-7% fuel consumption. [12]

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