European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 19, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Europe s Patchwork air traffic control by Burton Bollag new York times each time an air plane is about 10 leave the airspace of one european country Lor that Ola nother an air Traljic controller must usually make a time consuming phone Call to foreign colleague who notes the information with Pencil and paper. In the United states by contrast. Computer hookups have for More than 10 years allowed a controller in one Center to pass on a flight to a neighbouring Center with the touch of a Button. While the european Community moves Lull Speed ahead with the economic integration culminating in 1992, its air traffic control network remains an unwieldy Patchwork of incompatible nationals seems airline executives in Europe say that if governments there do not move faster on their stated goal of unifying the network the problem could interfere with the planned deregulation of civil aviation that is part of that integration As if incompatibility of traffic control methods were not enough there has been a Sharp and up Edi cled increase in flights within Europe in the last three years As airlines have sought to attract lucrative business fliers with More frequent service on smaller planes deregulation is expected to bring about a Lurcher increase in the number of flights adding to the problem of congestion deregulation simply will not happen without major improvements in air traffic control capacity says Daniel Galibert regional technical representative Lor Europe of the International air transport association which represents 186 airlines around the world last year almost one m five Intra european flights was delayed the wait averaged 27 minutes during the Peak summer months passengers sometimes had to wait for hours in packed Airport terminals. Officials say they Aio witnessing Abou Tho same delays this summer. An increase of roughly 10 percent in it number of flights this year has been offset by improvements in air Frallic control efficiency. Flag has from the untied Stales Aio not much affected by the european delays because pianos on trans Atlantic routes Are Given priority. I no problems Start Lor travellers when they change planes or my on later to other destinations in Europe often the worst delays Are encountered by charter flights  cd have the lowest Priori / Lor lat e oils and landings airline officials complain thai european governments Are nol moving last enough to improve the situation we have yet to Eti recognition of the urgency and seriousness of the problem at the political level said Gunter Eser. Director general of the air transport group both airline and government officials agree however that safety Levels Are being maintained albeit Al the Price of delays air traffic control problems Are not the Only trouble the air transport association has identified seven european airports that it says urgently need big investments to expand runway or terminal capacity. Frankfurt Munich Dies Seldora Rome. Milan London Heathrow and Gal Wick association officials said that adequate investments had been made at Many other european airports in recent years. But the officials say that Tho most pressing problem now is a Lack of coordination among countries air traffic control systems can t talk to one another and this is one of the biggest problems in Europe today Galibert said not Only do countries work with different and incompatible air traffic control equipment but terminology and methods Are different in each country As Well for example some countries separate flights travelling on the same route by keeping a minimum distance Between them. But other countries use an older approach of lining up the flights one behind the other Wilh a certain number of mutes of flying Lime separating them. To maintain safely margins during the hand Over controllers have up to now followed a practice of keeping planes separated by 30 nautical Miles when crossing International boundaries the system wastes valuable airspace and increases congestion at a meeting in june european civil aviation officials in arced to iry to reduce the separation Standard Lor Border Crossings to 10 Milus. In the United slates and Many european countries planes Are kept Only five Miles apart on Domestic Ionics officials say thai by harmonizing the continent s Patchwork of National systems and investing in new computerized equipment capacity could be doubled. In 1963, civil aviation authorities in Europe created an International body known As eur control. Tho Brussels based organization composed of 10 Western european countries and Turkey was to have created a unified air traffic control network but this did not happen member countries refused to surrender jealously held National prerogatives one of the most important Industry officials say has Boon the procurement of expensive air traffic control equipment. In Tho end each country has continued buying equipment to its own specifications from National manufacturers whenever possible officials say that countries have also been sensitive about keeping control of their military airspace however in the face of the last several years of worsening congestion countries have come to accept the necessity for a major Effort to harmonize Europe s air traffic control network officials say. At a meeting in november in Frankfurt transportation ministers from 23 european countries agreed in principle to establish common technical specifications and operating procedures. The of of working out the standards was Given to euro control Page 14 the stars and stripes