(ENSURE - En-Route Shannon Upper Airspace Re-Design)
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is a commercial semi-state company employing approximately 700 people at six locations around Ireland. The IAA has two main functions; the provision of air traffic management and related services in Irish controlled airspace, and the safety regulation of the civil aviation industry in Ireland.
The project was born out of a desire to rationalize the airspace and increase safety, capacity and reduce costs and environmental damage. The result was intended to reduce route miles, reduce fuel burn, reduce CO2 emissions and reduce time in the air for all aircraft entering and using Irish airspace. Without the cooperation of the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) UK in which a Functional Airspace Block (FAB) was agreed this project could not have succeeded. It also fitted neatly into the EU Single European Sky Directive which drives integration of national airspace to reduce costs to airlines and reduce journey times by giving direct routings and minimising military airspace.
It was the first FAB in Europe and working with the UK NATS, the IAA is managing the combined airspace to optimum effect. The main elements involved the removing airways in this airspace and creating sectors which would allow direct routings of traffic across Ireland Eastbound and Westbound.
There was no capital outlay; however there was extensive proof of concept simulation in Budapest and training of controllers to implement the changes.
Route miles have been reduced by 2.2 million km, resulting in a jet fuel saving of 16 million litres per annum.
The Irish Aviation Authority has demonstrated that through the ENSURE programme in cooperation with National Air Traffic Services (NATS) in the UK that significant energy savings with increased safety can be achieved by improved flight scheduling. The Maastricht Air Traffic Control Centre which controls traffic over Germany, Holland and the Benelux countries is now implementing a similar control strategy. A truly international Irish born initiative.
