Background
On a delegated mandate from ICAO and its European Air Navigation Planning Group (EANPG), EUROCONTROL since 1994 has been entrusted with the responsibility to organise and carry out the necessary co-ordination of planning and implementation activities for improving and upgrading the ATS route network in the ECAC area of the European Region.
The responsible EUROCONTROL unit in charge of these important capacity enhancing activities is the Airspace Design & Network Capacity Expertise Team. Under the CND Airspace and Navigation Team (ANT), the associated work of airspace structure development is carried out by the Route Network Development Sub-Group (RNDSG). The RNDSG consists of airspace planners from over 30 ECAC and non-ECAC States and also benefits from the active participation of several international user organisations.
In order to ensure a systematic and continuous approach to airspace structure development in Europe which should provide important capacity and efficiency gains, the RNDSG’s work programme is focused on developments in the short, medium and long-term perspectives.
RNDSG’s Short Term Airspace Improvement Programme
The short-term improvement programme is an annual process starting every autumn. Its purpose is to develop remedial proposals to alleviate airspace problems and bottlenecks that became evident during the preceding peak summer period. The process starts with a review of the performance of the ECAC ATM system in collaboration with the CFMU and airspace user representative groups. Problem areas are identified and initial proposals are developed. These problem areas and proposals are then considered at the RNDSG meetings in the autumn and winter period with a view to having an agreed solution ready for implementation before the following summer peak season.
In an effort to give the airspace users an appreciation of some of the planned airspace changes which are expected for implementation as from the AIRAC effective date 4TH JUNE 2009, and with emphasis on associated RNDSG short-term programme, the attached brief Airspace Improvements Synopsis is provided. However, the listing of planned changes for this AIRAC cycle is not complete. In order to visually illustrate some of the changes, 15 simplified EUROCONTROL orientation maps have been developed and are embedded within this synopsis. Click on the associated pdf icon to access the document concerned in printer-friendly format.
FOR FINAL VERIFICATION AND FULL DETAILS, THE GOVERNING AIRAC PUBLICATIONS OF THE STATES CONCERNED MUST BE FULLY CONSULTED!!!
The associated publication reference numbers are given in the regularly updated and internet-based NATIONAL AIRAC PUBLICATION REVIEW accessible via the User Support website address:
http://www.eurocontrol.int/aim/public/standard_page/airac_pubrev.html .