On Thursday, 1 November, the Saeima in the final reading adopted the law that ratifies the Agreement on the Establishment of the North European Functional Airspace Block between the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Finland, the Republic of Latvia and the Kingdom of Norway (NEFAB), which ensures that from now on, air navigation services will be more cost-efficient for Latvian airlines, flights will be safer and the environment will suffer less harm once airspace fragmentation has been eliminated.
NEFAB sets forth the right of each contracting state to designate one or more air traffic service providers to operate throughout all or parts of its airspace. Although it is the prerogative of each EU member state to decide upon the number of its air traffic control service providers, the goal of the Single European Sky and functional airspace blocks is to minimise the fragmentation of air traffic control service providers.
NEFAB, together with other agreements on establishment of functional airspace blocks, is a step towards creating a harmonised air traffic network – the Single European Sky. This network will cover routes and route management, as well as air traffic control systems aimed at ensuring a safe, efficient and technologically sound airspace. As a result of the establishment of this functional airspace block, it is expected to significantly increase the system’s capacity and cost-efficiency while maintaining safety and environmental protection.
Saeima Press Service