In view of the huge effort that went into creating at least the legal framework for the nine Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs) and the recent hard words from the industry blasting states and the European Commission for the failure of the FABs to deliver anything really useful by the December 4 deadline, the question in… Continue reading Is there a future for the FABs?
Category: FAB News
News from the Functional Airspace Blocks in Europe
Here is the IATA statement on FABs: FABs Need to Deliver Results
It is IATA policy not to co-sign statements with other organizations. They have, however, issued their own statement concerning the FAB situation. Here it is: Brussels, 4 December 2012 – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on the European Commission, EU member states and Europe’s Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) to ensure that Functional Airspace… Continue reading Here is the IATA statement on FABs: FABs Need to Deliver Results
Airline industry condemns EU Member States on lack of progress on FABs to date
The Association of European Airlines (AEA), the European Low Fares Airline Association (ELFAA), the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) and the International Air Carrier Association (IACA) are united in condemning EU Member States for their reluctance to properly implement Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs), a key ingredient for the successful delivery of Single European Sky II… Continue reading Airline industry condemns EU Member States on lack of progress on FABs to date
Fragmentation then and now…
In previous writings on the problems we see with the concept of Functional Airspace Blocks (FAB), the authors have often compared the European ATM fragmentation the nine FABs are bringing to the situation we had back in the early 70s. Like all comparisons, this one is not perfect by far, but there are enough similarities to… Continue reading Fragmentation then and now…
The FAB Saga. 2012 Edition.
2012 is a significant year for the European Functional Airspace Blocks (FAB). Namely, they must all be fully operational by December this year. All nine of them. Let’s have a quick look at these things to get a good overview of their status and impact. First and foremost I think one needs to clarify that if… Continue reading The FAB Saga. 2012 Edition.
BLUE MED FAB Newsletter No. 3
In case you were wondering what folks are doing inside a FAB, help is at hand in the form of the BLUE MED FAB Newsletter No. 3. With EUROCONTROL now having been officially appointed as the Network Manager, there is the inevitable interview with Joe Sultana, the boss of EUROCONTROL’s Directorate Network Management. Then an… Continue reading BLUE MED FAB Newsletter No. 3
When is a FAB not a FAB?
We have written quite a lot about the Functional Airspace Blocks (FAB), their dangers and their impact on SESAR. Although these days most everything is claimed to be happening in the context of the various FABs, the picture is far from ideal. It is not unusual to hear in meetings or in discussions with various… Continue reading When is a FAB not a FAB?
Functional Airspace Blocks (FAB) – The best thing since sliced bread!
It is definitive now, FABs are the greatest invention since sliced bread! I mean, what other construct would give European Air Navigation Service Providers the chance to boast about doing things now that they should have done decades ago but failed to because of parochial thinking? It is hard to understand why they were so… Continue reading Functional Airspace Blocks (FAB) – The best thing since sliced bread!
Functional Airspace Blocks (FAB) – the EC’s biggest blunder?
That the EC meant well when they originally came up with the idea of Functional Airspace Blocks (FAB) is not in question. That they did not anticipate the monster they were creating can be put down to the engaging naivety of someone venturing into the jungle of European air traffic management for the first time.… Continue reading Functional Airspace Blocks (FAB) – the EC’s biggest blunder?
European ATM failing… again?
It is almost boring these days how every possible forum, from LinkedIn to Air Traffic Management Magazine, is full of awe-struck articles about the Functional Airspace Blocks (FAB) and ANSP alliances. Subtly or not so subtly they all seem to suggest that this is now what ATM needs and this is how problems will be… Continue reading European ATM failing… again?