IAA and NATS to commission airspace study

Citation

(2005), "IAA and NATS to commission airspace study", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 77 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2005.12777bab.010

IAA and NATS to commission airspace study

IAA and NATS to commission airspace study

Keywords: Aircraft, Air safety

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and UK National Air Traffic Services (NATS) are to commission a study into the issues associated with establishing a functional airspace block, seen as a key step in the development of a Single European Sky.

At a recent meeting in Dublin, the Chief Executives of the IAA and NATS, Eamonn Brennan and Paul Barron, agreed that a study should be conducted by an independent consultant and involve consultation with all their key stakeholders to consider the issues involved in establishing an Ireland/UK functional block of airspace. Preliminary findings are expected to be available this year.

The announcement comes on the eve of the first phase of work by the IAA and NATS, to provide a radar controlled air traffic control service from Shannon, into a new area to be known as NOTA – a Northern Oceanic Transition Area, situated to the north west of Ireland.

From January this year, the new NOTA radar service allows aircraft to make earlier transitions to their optimum cruising levels and allow greater flexibility for alternative routings, climbs and descents. The move has the full support of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the representative association for airlines.