New flight route network - more safety
A new network of flight routes between Geneva and Brussels will be introduced on March 31, 2016. Switzerland, France and the other countries involved have decided to implement the "Southeast" airspace project. This requires changes to the approach and departure routes at Geneva and Basel-Mulhouse airports.
The "Southeast" airspace project is an important element of the FABEC strategy, he said. The main objectives of the project are to Improvement of flight safety and the optimization of north-south and south-north traffic flows in upper airspace. To this end, two traffic flow intersections will be eliminated and military training zones will be redefined. Thanks to shorter flight routes, flights would be optimized and the environmental impact limited. The countries concerned - namely Switzerland and France - have been involved in the realization of the "Southeast" project as part of a collaboration between the FOCA, the French civil aviation authority DGAC (Direction générale de l'aviation civile), Skyguide and Geneva and Basel-Mulhouse airports, according to the statement.
Unbundle for safety reasons
Today, around 1,000 aircraft a day fly over the region in the center of Europe in a narrow corridor at high altitude. In this corridor, two airways cross twice.
According to the FOCA, the unbundling of these airways will require an adjustment of certain departure routes at Geneva Airport and the relocation of around 15 flights per day. At Basel-Mulhouse Airport, certain flight routes north of the airport will have to be changed and around 20 flights a day taking off to the south will have to be relocated. These changes will take effect on March 31, 2016, according to the announcement.
In accordance with current Swiss legislation, the FOCA had commissioned a detailed study on the impact of the new procedures on noise pollution. According to this analysis, no major impacts are to be expected. Finally, it should be mentioned that the new routes would not create any additional capacity.
The FABEC
In 2004, the European states and the European Commission decided to create a Single European Sky (SES). The aim is to further improve airspace safety, reduce the burden on the environment and increase the efficiency of air traffic. On this basis, nine Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs) were defined throughout Europe. The FABEC (FAB Europe Central) covers the airspaces of Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The FABEC agreement, signed by the six participating countries, came into force in 2013 and sets out clear objectives: Improving safety, reducing emissions thanks to more direct and efficient flight paths, and increasing the efficiency of military training missions.
