European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation
Encyclopedia
EUROCONTROL is the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation. Founded in 1963, it is an international organisation working for seamless, pan-Europe
an air traffic management. EUROCONTROL is a civil organisation and currently has 39 member states; its headquarters are in Brussels
.
EUROCONTROL coordinates and plans air traffic control for all of Europe. This involves working with national authorities, air navigation service providers, civil and military airspace users, airport
s, and other organizations. Its activities involve all gate-to-gate air navigation service operations: strategic and tactical flow management, controller training, regional control of airspace, safety-proofed technologies and procedures, and collection of air navigation charges.
, provides air traffic control
for traffic above 24,500 ft over Belgium
, Luxembourg
, the Netherlands
, and north-west Germany
. A DFS
unit, controlling military air traffic over the north-west of Germany, is co-located with the civil facilities. It started operations in 1972.
It is the second busiest Area Control Centre (ACC) in Europe
, after London.
MUAC has put in operation innovative technology and productivity enhancements: a new generation Flight Data Processing System, the Short Term Conflict Alert
(STCA), Medium Term Conflict Detection (MTCD), Controller Pilot Data Link Communications
(CPDLC) and stripless controller working positions.
Typically, air traffic control sectors at MUAC can handle 50 or more flights per hour. The average flight duration is approximately 18 minute
s and typically 60% of the traffic is climbing from or descending to the major European airports of London
, Paris
, Frankfurt
, Amsterdam
and Berlin
.
regulations by the European Commission
.
EUROCONTROL and ECAC
members:
Notable non-members;
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an air traffic management. EUROCONTROL is a civil organisation and currently has 39 member states; its headquarters are in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
EUROCONTROL coordinates and plans air traffic control for all of Europe. This involves working with national authorities, air navigation service providers, civil and military airspace users, airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s, and other organizations. Its activities involve all gate-to-gate air navigation service operations: strategic and tactical flow management, controller training, regional control of airspace, safety-proofed technologies and procedures, and collection of air navigation charges.
Functions and Centres
EUROCONTROL provides a set of different services:- Central Flow Management Unit (CFMU) - coordinates flight plans and actual traffic.
- European AIS Database (EAD) - centralized access to AIS information.
- Central Route Charges Office (CRCO) - collects en-route (and aerodrome approach) charges on behalf of the ANSPAir Navigation Service ProviderAn Air Navigation Service Provider is the organisation that separates aircraft on the ground or in flight in a dedicated block of airspace on behalf of a state or a number of states....
s. - Eurocontrol Experimental Centre (EEC) - ATM research, simulations, etc.
- Central European Air Traffic Services (CEATS) - research, development and simulation centre, and air traffic management research, simulations, etc.
- Institute of Air Navigation Services (IANS) - training and e-learning.
- Projects.
- Eurocontrol Safety Regulatory Requirement (ESARRs) - basis requirements for certification and designation according to EC regulation 2096/2005.
- Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC)
Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre
EUROCONTROL's Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC), located at Maastricht Aachen AirportMaastricht Aachen Airport
Maastricht Aachen Airport is a regional airport located northeast of the city of Maastricht, in the town of Beek, both municipalities in the Limburg province in the Netherlands. The airport is also northwest of the city of Aachen, Germany....
, provides air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
for traffic above 24,500 ft over Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and north-west Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. A DFS
Deutsche Flugsicherung
The Deutsche Flugsicherung is the company in charge of air traffic control for Germany. It is a company organized under private law and 100% owned by the Federal Republic of Germany. Since 1994, DFS has been responsible for handling both civil and military air traffic in peacetime, removing a...
unit, controlling military air traffic over the north-west of Germany, is co-located with the civil facilities. It started operations in 1972.
It is the second busiest Area Control Centre (ACC) in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, after London.
MUAC has put in operation innovative technology and productivity enhancements: a new generation Flight Data Processing System, the Short Term Conflict Alert
Short Term Conflict Alert
Short Term Conflict Alert is an automated warning system for air traffic controllers . It is a ground-based safety net intended to assist the controller in preventing collision between aircraft by generating, in a timely manner, an alert of a potential or actual infringement of separation minima.-...
(STCA), Medium Term Conflict Detection (MTCD), Controller Pilot Data Link Communications
Controller Pilot Data Link Communications
Controller Pilot Data Link Communications , also referred to as Controller Pilot Data Link , is a method by which air traffic controllers can communicate with pilots over a datalink system.-Necessity:...
(CPDLC) and stripless controller working positions.
Typically, air traffic control sectors at MUAC can handle 50 or more flights per hour. The average flight duration is approximately 18 minute
Minute
A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units...
s and typically 60% of the traffic is climbing from or descending to the major European airports of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
Regulatory responsibilities
EUROCONTROL has been delegated parts of the Single European SkySingle European Sky
The Single European Sky is a European Commission initiative by which the design, management and regulation of airspace will be coordinated throughout the European Union ....
regulations by the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
.
Membership
European Civil Aviation Conference
The European Civil Aviation Conference or Conférence Européenne de l'Aviation Civile is an intergovernmental organization which was established by the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Council of Europe. It is located in Neuilly-sur-Seine/Paris in France...
members:
| Member | Since | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Austria |
1993 | EU Member Member State of the European Union A member state of the European Union is a state that is party to treaties of the European Union and has thereby undertaken the privileges and obligations that EU membership entails. Unlike membership of an international organisation, being an EU member state places a country under binding laws in... |
 Belgium |
1960 | EU Member |
 Kingdom of Bulgaria |
1997 | EU Member |
 Cyprus |
1991 | EU Member |
 Czech Republic |
1996 | EU Member |
 Denmark |
1994 | EU Member |
 Finland |
2001 | EU Member |
 Early Modern France |
1960 | EU Member |
 Germany |
1960 | EU Member |
 Greece |
1988 | EU Member |
 Hungary |
1992 | EU Member |
 Republic of Ireland |
1965 | EU Member |
 Italy |
1996 | EU Member |
 Latvia |
2011 | EU Member |
 Lithuania |
2006 | EU Member |
 Luxembourg |
1960 | EU Member |
 Malta |
1989 | EU Member |
 Netherlands |
1960 | EU Member |
 Poland |
2004 | EU Member |
 Portugal |
1986 | EU Member |
 Kingdom of Romania |
1996 | EU Member |
 Slovakia |
1997 | EU Member |
 Slovenia |
1995 | EU Member |
 Spain |
1997 | EU Member |
 Sweden |
1995 | EU Member |
 United Kingdom |
1960 | EU Member |
 European Union |
2002 | In parallel with member states |
 Albania |
2002 | |
 Armenia |
2006 | |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
2004 | |
 Independent State of Croatia |
1997 | |
| 1998 | ||
 Moldova |
2000 | |
 Monaco |
1997 | |
 Kingdom of Montenegro |
2007 | |
 Norway |
1994 | |
 Serbia |
2005 | |
 Switzerland |
1992 | |
 Turkey |
1989 | |
 Ukraine |
2004 |
Notable non-members;
- EstoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
(EU and ECAC member) - AzerbaijanAzerbaijanAzerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
(ECAC member but outside EU) - GeorgiaGeorgia (country)Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
(ECAC member but outside EU) - IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
(ECAC member but outside EU)
See also
- Air travel disruption after the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruptionAir travel disruption after the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruptionIn response to concerns that volcanic ash ejected during the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland would damage aircraft engines, the controlled airspace of many European countries was closed to instrument flight rules traffic, resulting in the largest air-traffic shut-down since World War II...
- Controlled and Harmonised Aeronautical Information NetworkControlled and Harmonised Aeronautical Information NetworkThe Controlled and Harmonised Aeronautical Information Network is a concept developed by EUROCONTROL to improve the quality, integrity, accurary and interoperability of aeronautical data in kind of a digital data chain avoiding changes in medium in the whole data process.Using CHAIN regulators of...
(CHAIN) - European Aviation Safety AgencyEuropean Aviation Safety AgencyThe European Aviation Safety Agency is an agency of the European Union with offices in Cologne, Germany, which has been given regulatory and executive tasks in the field of civilian aviation safety. It was created on 15 July 2002, and it reached full functionality in 2008, taking over functions...
(EASA) - European Civil Aviation ConferenceEuropean Civil Aviation ConferenceThe European Civil Aviation Conference or Conférence Européenne de l'Aviation Civile is an intergovernmental organization which was established by the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Council of Europe. It is located in Neuilly-sur-Seine/Paris in France...
(ECAC) - European Cockpit AssociationEuropean Cockpit AssociationThe European Cockpit Association is the representative body of 38 national flight crew associations in Europe, comprising over 38,650 pilots and flight engineers...
- European Common Aviation AreaEuropean Common Aviation AreaEuropean Common Aviation Area .Bilateral agreements between the EU and some external countries about this single market in aviation services were signed on 5 May 2006 in Salzburg, Austria. It would build upon the EU's acquis communautaire and the European Economic Area...
(ECAA) - List of the busiest airports in Europe by passenger traffic
- Single European skySingle European SkyThe Single European Sky is a European Commission initiative by which the design, management and regulation of airspace will be coordinated throughout the European Union ....
- SKYbrarySKYbrarySKYbrary is a wiki created by the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, International Civil Aviation Organization, and the Flight Safety Foundation to create a comprehensive source of aviation safety information freely available online. It was launched in May 2008 on a platform...