A resolution adopted by MEPs asks to member states to implement the Single European Sky compromise. National air traffic control spaces in Europe urgently need to be merged so as to clear congestion, boost safety, reduce flight times, delays and fares, create jobs and cut CO2 emissions, according to them.

The European Parliament adopted in plenary session a resolution which calls on member states to merge urgently national air traffic control spaces in Europe. The European Commission estimates that the full and swift deployment of the Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research (SESAR) technology would lead to the creation of 328,000 jobs and cut CO2 emissions by some 50 million tonnes. Recently, the European Commission confirmed that the flagship project to create a single European airspace is not delivering after more than 10 years.

The Single European Sky initiative was launched in 2004 to reform the architecture of European air traffic management. Member states made firm commitments to merge their national air control spaces into nine Functional Airspace Blocks (FAB) by 4 December 2012 and to evolve progressively towards a single European sky. However, only two such blocks are ready, in the Scandinavian skies and over Ireland and the UK.

MEPs also call for performance indicator schemes to be implemented and ask the Commission to adopt a top-down approach by proposing new legislation, including possible sanctions and, where necessary, EU funding. Passengers and airlines would benefit from cost reductions as congestion would be relieved, flight times would be cut by some 10% on average and cancellations and delays would be halved.