Fixing Europe’s air traffic system:
A path towards one unified sky

For years, experts and officials in the European Union have warned that air traffic management in Europe is too fragmented and inefficient. Commissioner Loyola de Palacio had already pointed this out back in 2000, noting that, while safety levels were high, Europe’s patchwork of national systems caused delays and wasted resources. Reports from the European Court of Auditors and other EU bodies have repeatedly confirmed this imbalance.

Attempts to reform the system have stalled as individual countries have resisted giving up national control. Then came the Covid-19 crisis, which engendered a €8.6 billion shortfall and forced many governments to financially rescue their air navigation providers. Now that flight traffic is almost back to normal, there is a risk that European air traffic management (ATM) will slip back into its old habits, leaving inefficiencies and environmental challenges unresolved.

Three major changes are needed to build a better European ATM system: strengthen the role of the Network Manager, modernise the infrastructure that supports air traffic management, and organise data and services in smarter, more centralised ways.

Giving more power to the Network Manager

The Network Manager (NM) is the EU body which helps coordinate airspace use and flight flows across the continent. Right now, its power is limited – it can advise and monitor but not really enforce a unified plan.
The aim is to give the NM authority over three critical aspects:

European airspace design and management

Airspace optimisation is key to meeting Single European Sky and Green Deal objectives. Long-identified bottlenecks remain unresolved due to states’ reluctance to delegate control. A stronger NM should be empowered to define optimal airspace structures, require states to justify deviations, finalise the deployment of FRA concept (Free Route Airspace), and arbitrate disputes.

Pan-European responsibility for Air Traffic Flow and Capacity Management (ATFCM)

A reinforced NM will coordinate capacity and demand both strategically and tactically. This would include the ability to delegate congested airspace to underused neighbours, oversee air traffic controller staffing, and make real-time adjustments similar to the US Air Traffic Control System Command Centre (ATCSCC).

Responsibility for overall network efficiency

Beyond delay reduction, the NM will pursue a holistic optimisation of cost and environmental performance.

Modernising Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS)

Europe’s technical systems for guidance and communication – known as CNS – are still managed separately by each country’s air navigation provider. This is costly and slows innovation. The solution is to treat CNS like a shared service purchased from specialised providers instead of something every country builds and maintains alone.

This approach already works elsewhere. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) uses private companies such as Aireon and Inmarsat for global satellite tracking and communication services. A similar model in Europe will reduce duplication, lower costs, and speed up the adoption of new technologies like next-generation satellite-based communications.

A European-level infrastructure manager will coordinate these services with the Network Manager, ensuring that future upgrades align with overall traffic needs. The main challenge would be to prevent monopolies and address concerns over national control, but with careful oversight, the benefits far outweigh the risks.

Building a smarter digital system for air traffic

Thanks to faster networks and powerful servers, it is now possible to create a digital, more centralised air traffic management system. Instead of each country running its own proprietary systems, a common platform could host shared “ATM data services”.

En-route ATFM delays by state, by cause and by centre. © Eurocontrol

Under this model, control centres would keep local controller positions but connect to centralised servers managed by certified data service providers. These providers would handle:

• surveillance data, combining radar and satellite information for a complete picture of air traffic in Europe;
• flight plan data, ensuring a unique flight plan instead of different incoherent versions;
• aeronautical and weather data, giving all users the same accurate and up-to-date information.

This would cut costs dramatically and make operations more flexible and resilient. If one part of the network faced technical problems, others could quickly take over.

Cybersecurity would also improve under one coordinated system instead of many scattered ones.

With this kind of setup, air traffic controllers, airports and airlines could share the same real-time information. That means faster decisions and safer skies. Coordinating air and ground systems would also help reduce delays and emissions through better planning.

Leveraging AI for Next-Generation ATM

A shared data system would open the door to using artificial intelligence (AI) throughout European aviation. AI could predict bottlenecks, suggest better flight paths, detect safety risks, and even automate routine tasks. In the long term, AI might enable semi-autonomous air traffic operations in low-traffic areas, improving both safety and efficiency.

Le Centre des opérations du gestionnaire de réseau à Eurocontrol. Photo © Eurocontrol

Managing stakeholder resistance

While the technical roadmap is clear, it demands more than common sense and requires strong, sustained political with strategic incentives.

The difficulties are manageable (see box). Our proposals offer the optimal technical goal.

Progress may not mean full, immediate adoption of all elements but, based on a firm political push at the European level and supported by financial compensation, a realistic roadmap will pave the way toward the truly integrated sky Europe needs.

Article originally published in Newsletter No 140