Airlines for Europe (A4E), Managing Director, Ourania Georgoutsakou has told the Routes Europe conference that European air traffic management (ATM) could be revamped through optimal flight paths .
A4E promote the concept of optimal flight trajectories driven by increased digitalisation among A4E members to enhance efficiency and sustainability. The focus is on collaborating with stakeholders to plan and achieve optimal flight paths considering factors like wind conditions, airspace capacity, and military closures due to the conflict in Ukraine.
Rebooting the system towards more efficient flight operations in terms of space, fuel, and carbon emissions is crucial, according to Georgoutsakou, with European ATM reform potentially cutting CO2 emissions by up to 10pc through the Single European Sky (SES) implementation.
While forecasting strong summer demand nearing 96pc of pre-pandemic levels, sustainability remains a primary concern for the aviation sector, with European aviation’s Destination 2050 net-zero plan estimated to incur an incremental cost of €820bn, primarily borne by airlines. A4E’s members collectively serve 718m passengers yearly with a fleet of 3,600 aircraft.
