IAA and NATS welcome first report into FAB

Citation

(2005), "IAA and NATS welcome first report into FAB", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 77 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2005.12777fab.008

IAA and NATS welcome first report into FAB

IAA and NATS welcome first report into FAB

Keywords: Aircraft, Air traffic control

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and National Air Traffic Services (NATS) has welcomed what they called a “ground-breaking” report by independent consultants The Solar Alliance on the feasibility of establishing a Functional Airspace Block (FAB) in Irish/UK airspace.

They welcomed the report's conclusion that a FAB would offer flexibility in airspace management, cost savings through the rationalisation of resources, and service benefits through more streamlined operations.

“The IAA and NATS have a great history of working together and this is a natural progression of that partnership”, said Eamonn Brennan, Chief Executive of the IAA. “This report is the first of its kind in Europe and while it points out the exciting benefits to be had from establishing a FAB, we are mindful that this is just the first step”.

Paul Barron, Chief Executive of NATS, added: “This is a very innovative report but we must now consult our customers, our management teams and our staff representatives, and work through the options with them. There is a lot of work still to be done before we seek the support of our respective Governments to push forward”.

The main recommendations of The Solar Alliance report are:

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  a three-centre, high level en-route strategy based on Shannon, Prestwick and Swanwick;

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  an integrated charging regime across the whole airspace;

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  joint airspace management to deliver improvements in service quality with a new Atlantic interface system managed from Shannon; and

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  control of the Dublin TMA should be transferred to Prestwick.

The Solar Alliance said that the level of co-operation which already exists between the two air traffic services providers means that, subject to agreement of a framework of principles between the parties, the FAB could potentially be operational as early as 2008.

But they also recommend that a more detailed study is necessary to address other implications for users, regulators and government, as well as for the two companies' management teams and their workforces.

For the IAA and NATS, this will require detailed consultation with stakeholders including the military, unions, safety regulators and both Irish and UK Governments.

Both the IAA and NATS will now seek the support of their boards to move to the next phase of more detailed work.