ATC
European Commission’s Single Sky, Traffic Rights Goals Still Elusive
European Commissioner for Transport Siim Kallas expressed frustration over a lack of cooperation from the European Union’s member states on the Single European Sky effort. (Photo: Thierry Dubois)
European Commissioner for Transport Siim Kallas expressed frustration over a lack of cooperation from the European Union’s member states on the Single European Sky effort. (Photo: Thierry Dubois)

European Commissioner for Transport Siim Kallas admitted to excessively slow progress on the Single European Sky (SES) air traffic management program last week and characterized Russia’s continued charges for Siberian overflights as unacceptable. He has been threatening European Union member states with legal action over their failure to carry out their respective SES responsibilities. Separately, he is planning a March 21 meeting in Moscow to pressure Russian authorities to address what he views as “unfair” overflight fees. “At some point we realized almost nothing was moving,” Kallas said of the SES effort during a February 28 press briefing in Brussels. Recent moves include a “wave of letters” sent to member state ministers, suggesting the commission could file infringement proceedings against their countries. The SES plans call for member states to create larger “functional airspace blocks” meant to de-fragment Europe’s airspace.

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