European Parliament approves more efficient and greener EU airspace

The reform of Single European Sky rules, already agreed upon in negotiations with the Council last March, strengthens national performance plans for air navigation services and will help to improve EU airspace management. These plans will have binding targets and incentives to make flights more efficient and environmentally friendly. An independent advisory Performance Review Board would be set up to help the Commission and EU member states in taking decisions on implementing these plans.

In addition, the Commission will adopt EU performance targets on capacity, cost efficiency, climate and environmental factors for air navigation services, to be reviewed at least every three years.

Greener air navigation charges

MEPs secured a provision that tasks the Commission with assessing how charges levied on airspace users (airlines or private planes operators) for providing air navigation services could encourage them to become more environmentally friendly, for example by using the most fuel-efficient available routing or alternative clean propulsion technologies.

More competition

Another key demand of MEPs during the negotiations was to encourage competition in the air navigation services market. The new bill includes the possibility for air-traffic service providers to procure other air navigation services, such as communication, meteorological or aeronautical information services, under market conditions.

Quotes

“The reform is a step forward in removing bottlenecks, creating more efficient air traffic control and management, and reducing costs and emissions through shorter and safer flights, from which all European airlines, and especially European citizens, will benefit. The creation of a truly single European airspace, however, has been blocked by member states, unwilling to give up national powers for the greater good. I now call on member states to constructively implement this reform”, said EP co-rapporteur Jens Gieseke (EPP, DE).

“Today, Europe’s airspace is like a big jigsaw puzzle where each country has its own piece, but unfortunately not all the pieces fit together. This leads to detours, waiting times and unnecessary costs. In 2023, almost three out of ten flights were delayed by more than 15 minutes. The new rules will make aviation safer, more punctual and more climate-friendly”, added EP co-rapporteur Johan Danielsson (S&D, SE) and also thanked former rapporteurs Marian-Jean Marinescu (EPP, Romania) and Bogusław Liberadzki (S&D, PL) for their work.

Next steps

Both co-legislators have now approved the new rules– the Council did so on 26 September. They will enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the EU. While most of the provisions will apply from that date, other provisions (e.g. penalties for infringing the new rules; national supervisory authority’s independence) will only take effect two years later.

Further information: European Parliament