BALTIC FUNCTIONAL AIRSPACE BLOCK COUNCIL MEETING
7 December 2022, Warsaw
The fifth meeting of Baltic Functional Airspace Block (FAB) Council took place in Warsaw on December 8, 2022. This year the Baltic FAB is celebrating 10th anniversary and the meeting provided good opportunity to overview current achievements as well as define the direction of further development.
Strengthening cooperation between the Baltic FAB Council and Eurocontrol will be one of the most important developments in the near future. EUROCONTROL has been tasked to respond to the current geopolitical situation in the Central and Eastern Europe, as well as to the other extraordinary events that significantly affect the condition of air traffic in both Poland and Lithuania.
On this occasion, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Infrastructure Rafal Weber, together with Lithuanian Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Julius Skačkauskas, signed the Baltic FAB Action Plan, that addresses, among the most important topics, the need for efficient regional contingency arrangements.
The Council acknowledged the Baltic FAB stakeholders’ achievements under iTEC alliance umbrella, close cooperation in SESAR 2020 and SESAR 3, implementation of the Baltic FRA (Free Route Airspace). The members agreed on the need to enhance bilateral Civil - Military efforts.
The cooperation that lasts more than a decade has proven that Baltic Fab is a useful tool, implementing the all-encompassing concepts of single European sky and a useful measure to enhance bilateral partnership.
THE KEY MESSAGES OF THE MEETING:
- Current legal framework of the Baltic FAB is based on the Agreement on the Establishment of the Baltic Functional Airspace Block between The Republic of Poland and The Republic of Lithuania, signed 17th July 2012 in Vilnius. Coupled with additional agreements between National Supervisory Authorities (NSA) and Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP), it supports efficient cooperation between Poland and Lithuania within the FAB concept.
- FABs concept is the key to improved capacity and efficiency, enhanced safety and lower costs for air navigation services through enhanced cooperation and integration across borders and the response to the fragmentation of the European Air Traffic Management (ATM).
- Over a decade of collaboration has shown that the Baltic FAB is a useful tool for implementing Single European Sky’s overarching concepts, as well as an advantageous means of fostering bilateral partnership.
- During the recent years the ANSPs (ON and PANSA) of the Baltic FAB achieved significant progress regarding Regional Involvement and Operational streams, including:
- Implementation of Baltic FRA (Free Route Airspace) completed on 24th of February 2022,
- Ongoing iTEC collaboration, a next generation air traffic management system,
- Multiple international events, including organization of the workshop “Climate change and the role of air traffic control” and panels at the World ATM Congress,
- Ongoing cooperation on R&D projects in SESAR 2020 and new cooperation in SESAR 3 starting in 2023.
These activities are guided by the Baltic FAB Development Strategy 2025, adopted by the Council in 2016, with intermediate progress tracked by the regularly updated Action Plan. Besides that, the progress is made in other important fields, not formally specified in the mentioned Action Plan, like SAR (Search and Rescue) cooperation agreement.
- Extremely important topic of the Action Plan is to ensure convergence, contingency and continuity of ATM system. Russian invasion of Ukraine has significant negative impact on air traffic in Poland and Lithuania. Consequently, Baltic FAB States work closely together to address potential contingencies.
- The Baltic FAB NSA keep working together, having their regular coordination meetings. The recent one addressed the AFIS designation and legislation process, FPD oversight, update on Joint NSA activities (Strategy 2025 Action Plan), Regulation EU 2018/1048 (PBN) implementation short review, and cross border activities;
- Even in case of pandemic, war and other possible crisis that cause reduction of flights, air navigation service providers must ensure service continuity and safety. ANSPs must have their crisis management and resilience plans, including the plans at Baltic FAB level. However, ANSPs should not be left alone to solve the crisis;
- It is very important to define adequate measures for the coming future, considering lessons learnt and growing geopolitical uncertainty. Due to different impact to certain regions, local complexities should be considered where planning our services;
- Involvement of the State is crucial. The Baltic FAB Council members recognized the State’s role in ensuring air navigation service continuity, safety as well as airspace, aviation sector and region’s competitiveness and discussed further possible actions to address negative consequences the war in Ukraine and any future crises have on Air Navigation Services in Lithuania and Poland;
- The Baltic Functional Airspace Block Council, in the context of Russian war against Ukraine and escalating Hybrid activities, agreed on the need to enhance bilateral Civil - Military efforts, including planned and snap military exercises.
- The Baltic FAB Council affirmed the benefit in developing Military Airspace Block Concept in Baltic states by enabling Polish and Partner air assets to operate for training and exercise purpose in military environment without restraints. According to current decision Poland has joined MABC project for training and exercise purpose in FIR Warsaw.
- The Baltic Functional Airspace Block Council affirmed the importance of timely and pro-active cooperative military activities in air domain in peace time environment.
