Aircraft operators in Europe have been able to fly more direct routes since the November 30 launch of Eurocontrol’s new cross-border free route airspace operations over Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Germany. The changes were jointly implemented last week by Eurocontrol’s Maastricht Upper Area Control and the DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung’s Upper Area Control Center in Karlsruhe, Germany.
According to Eurocontrol, thousands more direct route options are now available, and these will reduce fuel burn and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The air traffic management agency said it will give aircraft operators more efficient flight planning options not only over Germany and the Benelux countries but on longer cross-border routes between the UK and Poland.
The free route airspace concept allows airspace users to plan routes closer to the flight profiles they would prefer, rather than having to restrict choices to published routes. It is now available on a 24-hour basis for flights within and between the Benelux countries, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerland, and at night in Austrian airspace. The system has been progressively rolled out since 2019.
According to Eurocontrol, the airspace over Germany and the Benelux countries is used by around 35 percent of all European air traffic. “With the new route options, [aircraft operators] can realize flexible but at the same time reliable planning procedures,” said DFS COO Dirk Mahns.