FABEC removes restrictions facilitating greener flights

Air navigation service providers of the Functional Airspace Block Europe Central (FABEC) has removed more than 150 flight level caps and lifted over 165 so-called eNM measures previously imposed to manage traffic during periods of high demand. With this measure airspace users are enabled in this period of quieter times to plan both more direct routes and vertical flight profiles optimizing fuel consumption, reducing sustainably aircraft emissions. These latest measures come after the removal in 2020 of more than 500 route restrictions previously imposed under Route Availability Documents (RAD)¹ compiled by the EUROCONTROL Network Manager.

In addition, the stepwise programme by FABEC to implement Free Route Airspace (FRA) is continuously progressing. On the one hand airspace users gained access around the clock to free route airspace in upper airspace controlled by Maastricht UAC (since December 2019) and DFS Karlsruhe (since February 2021) control centres. This has led to the suspension of dozens of RAD restrictions across the region, allowing airlines to freely plan optimum flight paths between airspace entry and exit points and further reduce aviation’s environmental footprint. One the other hand FABEC ANSP – mainly DSNA – introduced about 120 direct routings to prepare the implementation of Free Route Airspace. In addition, further cross-border direct routings have been implemented.

Peggy Devestel, Chair FABEC Standing Committee Operations and COO skeyes said: “By introducing these measures while traffic remains low, the efficiency measures support aviation recovery and provide an opportunity to improve environmental performance of aircrafts in line with Europe’s Green Deal initiative. FABEC efforts to reduce environmental impact are reflected in receipt of the ATM Environment Award at the start of 2021.”

¹A Route Availability Document (RAD) is an Air Traffic Flow and Capacity Management (ATFCM) tool agreed between the Network Manager and operational stakeholders