Newsletter 5/2010 - Activities in brief

South East Europeans gather to improve regional air connectivity, traffic and safety

High-level representatives of national authorities from South East Europe responsible for air traffic met in Budva, Montenegro, on 8 September 2010, at a conference on the Implementation of Single European Sky in South East Europe (ISIS Programme).

They agreed that improved air traffic regulation would stimulate connectivity and create new market opportunities in the region.

Concretely, the participants stressed the need for further activities in certifying air navigation service providers, improving airspace design, cross-border coordination and Air Traffic Control sector delineation, as well as Air Traffic Management (ATM) system interoperability.

The conference launched the second phase of ISIS Programme, which is expected to speed up regulatory alignment in South East Europe (SEE) with Single European Sky (SES) regulations, enable transfer of knowledge and experience from EU countries to SEE region, as well as introduce a system of professional training.

“The ISIS Programme presents an opportunity to the airlines and other interested parties to take advantage of the liberalized market, improve air connectivity in the region and strengthen cooperation in the area of Air Traffic Management, air safety, National Supervisory Authority cooperation and licensing military flights”, said Hido Biscevic, RCC Secretary General and co-chair of the Programme’s Governing Body.

“A better integration of national networks will foster regional cooperation and integration not only between the EU and its neighbours, but also among the countries of the region themselves, thus creating new market opportunities resulting from an integrated aviation market of 36 countries and more than 500 million people.”

The SES, launched in 2004 by the European Commission, aims to reform the architecture of the European air traffic control to meet future capacity and safety needs. Nine SEE participants, the European Commission, the former Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) launched the ISIS Programme in 2008 thus committing to SES reform.  

The conference was organized by the Regional Cooperation Council, the European Commission and the International Civil Aviation Organization.  


MORE FROM THIS ISSUE