The new Single European Sky (SES2+) Regulation entered into force on 1 December, marking a key step towards a more efficient, and more sustainable European airspace.

SES2+ creates rules and incentives for monopoly air navigation service providers to pursue more efficiency gains and adopt modern technologies, with the aim to alleviate congestion in Europe’s airspace and to provide better quality services.

The new reegulatioon is also expected to foster innovation and the development of new services in the sector.

The hope is that this will help mitigate situations such as this summer, when air travel was severely disrupted, with nearly every other flight experiencing delays due mostly to overwhelming congestion in Europe’s airspace.

A key part of the new regulation is that it should lead to a reduction in the environmental impact of flying.

Specific targets for climate and environmental performance are to be set for air navigation service providers, and airlines will be encouraged to adopt more sustainable practices through a fair charging system.

EUROCONTROL, appointed by the Commission as the network manager, is expected to work with the stakeholders on the coordinated deployment of network infrastructure in Europe.

The realisation of the new regulation’s full potential will depend on implementing measures that the Commission will now develop, to be adopted subject to EU Member States’ agreement.

Q&A on Single European Sky: updated rules for more efficient and sustainable air traffic management