European air traffic management: an important step towards the Single European Sky
Yesterday, the European Commission adopted new rules for more interoperability between air traffic management (ATM)
systems in Europe. This aims to set common technical and procedural rules and thereby remove barriers to the harmonised
use of ATM systems.
The new legislation complements three Regulations adopted this year and last year in order to modernise air traffic
management systems within the Single European Sky.
This legal instrument is another important step in the implementation of the Single Sky, as it supports the coordinated
introduction in the air and on the ground of a more efficient technical solution in air navigation throughout Europe.
The new Regulation on 'voice channel spacing' foresees a reduction of the channel spacing from 25 to 8.33 kHz and allows
an increase in the number of frequencies available for air-ground communications and in the number of sectors used for
air traffic management.
This increase in the number of frequencies and sectors available should allow improving the capacity of the European air
traffic management network.
It requires the coordinated introduction in the air and on the ground of voice communication systems based on 8.33 kHz
channel spacing.
ENDS