By Henrietta Billings - 3rd February 2004
National goverments on Monday gave their backing to the "single sky" programme, giving the final go-ahead for a single system of air traffic control in Europe.
The agreement was welcomed by EU airport operators who regard the plan as "an important step to increase co-operation between different air traffic control centres across the EU.
"Improved coordination among member states and EUROCONTROL will eventually allow more aircraft to fly in the upper airspace, unite existing national regions and improve technical cooperation," said Philippe Hamon, director general of the Airports Council International Europe.
Heavy delays in arrival times and safety concerns over air traffic congestion are the driving force behind new laws to create a single European airspace out of a patchwork of almost 50 separate national zones.
The aim is to cut delays which cost the industry as much as 1.9 billion euros a year, and gives a committee headed by the European Commission powers to resolve conflicts between the different member states.
A Council spokesman said the new rules will come into force in the coming months.
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