Single European Sky

Single European Sky – Working together for a modern and efficient Single European Sky

The Single European Sky (SES) initiative aims to reform air traffic management in Europe in order to cope with the continued growth of air traffic and to conduct air navigation services under the safest, most cost-optimised as well as environmentally friendly conditions. Switzerland has been participating in the SES since 1 December 2006 on the basis of the air transport agreement between Switzerland and the European Union (EU).

The main objective of the SES project is to continuously improve the European air traffic management system. The performance and charging schemes are integral parts of the SES initiative. The EU regulations on these schemes set binding targets for member states and their air navigation service providers to provide performance-based air navigation services, with the aim of ensuring cheaper flights and fewer delays for airlines and passengers. Moreover, the environmental impact of air traffic is to be reduced through more efficient and shorter flight routes.

The SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) programme is the technological pillar of the Single European Sky. It aims to modernise and harmonise the European air traffic management system, in particular by developing and implementing innovative technological and operational air traffic management solutions. The principles and roadmap for the implementation of the intended technological solutions are set out in the European ATM Master Plan.

EU approves performance plan for Switzerland's air navigation services

With its decision of 14 December 2022, the EU Commission approves Switzerland's performance plan for the third reference period (2020-2024) of the Single European Sky. The performance plan sets binding performance targets for Switzerland's air navigation service provider skyguide in the areas of safety, environment, capacity and cost-efficiency.

As part of the Single European Sky, EU Member States and Switzerland are obliged to set binding performance targets for their air navigation service providers at local level. The aim is to continuously improve the European air traffic management system in the areas of safety, the environment, traffic capacity and cost efficiency in accordance with EU-wide requirements. The approval of the national performance plans lies in the competence of the EU Commission and is based on assessment criteria laid down in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/317.

Originally, the EU-wide performance targets for the third reference period of the Single European Sky were already set in 2019. However, aviation was impacted significantly in the course of the COVID 19 pandemic. Therefore, the EU-wide performance targets and the national performance plans based on them had to be fundamentally revised and resubmitted to the EU Commission for reassessment.

With its Decision of 14 December 2022, the EU Commission confirmed the consistency of the performance plan submitted by Switzerland with the EU-wide performance targets. The approved performance plan enters into force in Switzerland with immediate effect.