Polish and Lithuanian Baltic Functional Airspace Block (Baltic FAB)
03.08.201014:33
Piotr
Polish Secretary of State at the Ministry of Infrastructure Tadeusz Jarmuziewicz and Lithuanian Vice Minister of Transport and Communications Rimvydas Vaštakas signed a Letter of Intent on cooperation with regard to the development of the Baltic Functional Airspace Block Initiative on 29 July 2010 in Vilnius (Lithuania).
The document was signed to provide institutional grounds for the continuation by the respective transport ministries and all involved stakeholders of the activities, which have been carried out on the operational level for the past few years and aimed at achieving the timely and efficient realization of the Single European Sky objectives.
During the talks, the parties emphasized the necessity for the appointment of more efficient, safe and airspace user-friendly air traffic management system.
- We hope that these few years of operational cooperation between our countries in the field of integration and harmonization of air traffic management systems could be reinforced by a joint declaration expressed at the ministerial level whereby we would undertake to continue Baltic FAB initiative with a view to establishing the Polish and Lithuanian FAB within the time-limits determined in the Single European Sky II legislative package – said Vice Minister Tadeusz Jarmuziewicz during the meeting.
The ministers agreed to appoint a joint Strategic Committee and relevant working groups to facilitate and streamline works in the future, and ensure the forum of cooperation with the involvement of state authorities. During the meeting, the parties also declared that the initiative should be open to other countries eager to join the Baltic FAB in the future. The ministers also found it necessary to coordinate works with the associative initiatives, as well as with the third countries.
The FAB main objective is focused to achieve the maximum capacity and efficiency of the air traffic management Network in Europe, shortening of flight routes, reduction in aviation fuel consumption and abatement of aviation CO2 emissions without detriment to the high level safety performance, as well as improvement of cost-efficiency ratio of air navigation services providers. In line with the objectives of the Single European Sky II (SES II) legislative package, the functional airspace blocks are the key elements enabling better cooperation between the institutions providing air navigation services, contributing to the enhancement of work efficiency and the reduction of costs. The EU Member States are obliged to complete the establishment of FABs no later than 4 December 2010.
