SESAR Deployment

Skyguide introduced Free Route Airspace (FRA) within the area under its responsibility at the end of 2022 (Switzerland and parts of France, Italy, Germany and Austria). One of the objectives of Skyguide’s FRA project was to optimise flight trajectories between Switzerland and Germany, independent of airspace boundaries. A post-implementation analysis confirmed significant improvements in horizontal flight efficiency. Compared with the pre-COVID period, planned flight paths within Swiss airspace have been improved by 22%. As a result of cross-border FRA, horizontal flight efficiency performance at the Skyguide-DFS interface has also improved significantly, with planned and flown trajectories at the entry points improving by 16% and 19% respectively. In 2023, despite a 5% increase in traffic compared with 2022, planned and flown trajectories improved by 13% and 2% respectively, thanks mainly to Skyguide’s cross-border FRA.

Austro Control, in collaboration with the Federal Government, is enhancing transparency and public involvement regarding air traffic noise in Austrian airspace. In 2024, an innovative public participation process was launched, inviting citizens to engage and actively shape instrument flight rules (IFR) arrival and departure procedure changes in Austria. Through this initiative, citizens can propose enhancements to existing IFR routes and provide valuable feedback on new or modified routes. Submissions are reviewed by an expert panel, ensuring every input is considered and assessed. In the first two months of operation, more than 500 inputs were recorded and processed. The entire process is transparently documented, with Austro Control keeping the public informed every step of the way. It aims to enhance quality of life by reducing noise and fostering a safer, punctual, and environmentally friendly air traffic system.

The CONCERTO project aims to make eco-friendly trajectories an everyday occurrence in order to reduce the CO₂ and non-CO₂ impact of aviation. The project will look to integrate green air traffic control capacity into the system, and support stakeholders in balancing regularity and environmental performance at local and network levels. The project will do so by leveraging state-of-the-art climate science and data to allow ATM stakeholders to take their “eco-responsibility” to the next level. At the same time the project aims to demonstrate that mitigation measures can be deployed progressively at network level, in sync with scientific progress.