Promoting air traffic management safety in south-eastern Europe

Citation

(2005), "Promoting air traffic management safety in south-eastern Europe", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 77 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2005.12777aab.005

Promoting air traffic management safety in south-eastern Europe

Promoting air traffic management safety in south-eastern Europe

Keywords: Aircraft industry, Safety, Europe

The European Commission and EUROCONTROL have signed a Grant Agreement worth 4.6 million Euro for a project to further develop the air traffic management services in five West Balkan countries.

The project for Aviation Safety and Air Traffic Control Phase II (ASATC II) is part of the European Commission's community assistance for reconstruction, development and stabilisation (CARDS) Programme. CARDS supports the participation of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in the stabilisation and association process (SAp) which is the cornerstone of the EU's policy in the region. The SAp is an ambitious strategy that helps the region to secure political and economic stabilisation while also developing a closer association with the EU, opening a road towards eventual EU membership once the conditions have been met. Regional cooperation is a critical component within the SAp, essentially extending the EU's own philosophy to the western Balkan region that deeper cooperation with neighbouring countries is a route to national as well as regional stability and growth and that such cooperation serves the mutual interests of all countries concerned.

The main objective of the ASATC II project is to adapt air traffic and aviation conditions in the five CARDS countries to those in the rest of Europe, thus paving the way for the timely implementation of the Single European Sky.

“This project brings together three key European players – the European Commission, the Joint Aviation Authorities and EUROCONTROL and the five states of the region with a joint objective: to strengthen European aviation safety and improve air transport”, said Victor M. Aguado, Director General of EUROCONTROL. “We believe that this project will bring major benefits to these countries as they prepare for the Single European Sky and will also set an example for future developments and challenges”.

Over a period of 28 months, EUROCONTROL will assist each country to improve the status of the Civil Aviation Authorities, develop regulations and procedures for aviation safety, and meet international standards on safety management, human resources and business planning. With the crucial partnership of the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA), aviation authorities will also be trained in the regulation and oversight of aircraft operators, and will be brought to levels set by the Joint Aviation Requirements (JARs). In Bosnia and Herzegovina the project will also closely liaise and co- operate with the ongoing EC/ICAO project to ensure maximum benefits for the country.

“Through this project, the National Supervisory Authorities of the five countries will undergo a major upgrade in terms of their legal framework, safety regulation, human resources and business planning”, said Thanos.