Second Inter-FAB Coordination Workshop hosted by DANUBE FAB in Bucharest, Romania

DANUBE FAB hosted an Inter-FAB coordination workshop in Bucharest from 14^th – 15^th October 2015. At this second meeting of the recently formed Inter-FAB Coordination Platform, delegates from all 9 Functional Airspace Blocks were in attendance from a range of institutions: Ministries of Defence, Ministries of Transport, National Supervisory Authorities and Air Navigation Service Providers.

The event was opened by the Secretary of State for Romania, Mrs Maria Magdalena Grigore: “We hope that through sharing experiences, thoughts and ideas on FABs via this platform, we can accelerate progress together, collaborating to achieve the required capacity and efficiency of the European ATM network”.

Building on the first workshop held in Amsterdam in 2014, these two days helped shape the platform. The Terms of Reference of the group were finalised and an Inter-FAB Communications strategy initiated, forming a baseline for the future success of the initiative.

The 9 FABs also agreed on actions to enhance coordination in the Operational, Technical and Civil/Military domains on inter-FAB level. Break Out sessions enabled brainstorming on topics such as the future of FABs, the evolution of European ATM and a FAB’s role within SESAR Deployment.

Individual FABs also shared experiences, benefits and lessons learned on their key projects, with presentations on integrating ANS with examples from Nordic Unified Air Traffic Control, harmonising safety on FAB level through centralised occurrence reporting within BLUE MED FAB, optimising airspace through cross border operations in DANUBE FAB, and centralised governance in the form of FAB CE’s Legal Entity.

This is the first platform which brings together all FAB stakeholders, under one roof. The platform therefore provides an opportunity for wide ranging cooperation and coordination, allowing FABs to align common goals, share experiences and collectively form a strong and cohesive voice in Europe.