Operates as a Fully Independent International Civil Aviation Consultancy

Company LFV Aviation Consulting
Date 13.09.2012

On 1st July 2012 European aviation history was written. From that date onwards, both Swedish LFV and Danish Naviair will provide air navigation services in Swedish-Danish airspace through the jointly owned company NUAC. This constitutes a cooperation which falls in line with the EU’s goal of fewer national airspace blocks.

Today, Europe has around the same number of airspace blocks as it has nations. Since airspace blocks follow national boundaries this means that the airspace is not used to maximum effect. Restrictions in different countries’ airspaces can involve airlines needing to take less direct routes thus increasing fuel consumption and emissions. This means longer travelling times.

The EU is tackling this issue whereby EU member states shall, by December 2012, have drawn up so called FABs (Functional Airspace Blocks) comprising agreements between two or more countries which specify joint use of the airspace. Subsequently, air navigation services can be operated nationally or as in the Swedish-Danish example, in a jointly-owned enterprise.

Currently there are nine FAB initiatives in Europe. The largest, FABEC consists of Belgium, France, Germany, Luxemburg, Holland and Switzerland and covers 55% of European airspace. Ireland and Great Britain operate in a joint airspace with independent air navigation service providers. Sweden and Denmark will combine theirs in a joint effort.

“FABs utilize the accessible airspace to the optimum. We are proud of what we have achieved together with Naviair and we are convinced that an increased collaboration over national borders is the future of aviation,” says LFV’s Director General Thomas Allard.

In 2011 the EU nominated the Swedish-Danish cooperation for a functional airspace block as one of the ten most successful projects within the field of transport. The nomination was made from a range of 400 projects, all of which receive EU funding.

For more information, please contact LFV’s press services on +46 (0)11-192040.

Contact

LFV Aviation Consulting
SE-601 79
Norrkoping
Sweden
  • +46 11 19 20 00