IAA Website - Wednesday, March 22, 2023 2:59 AM

The Single European Sky (SES) initiative originated with the European Commission in 1999 when there was general dissatisfaction with the levels of delay experienced by airlines and passengers. The objectives of the SES legislation are:

  • to improve and reinforce safety;
  • to restructure European airspace as a function of air traffic flow, rather than according to national borders;
  • to create additional capacity and;
  • to increase the overall efficiency of the air traffic management system (ATM).


A High Level Group (HLG) was established by the European Commission to investigate and report on the underlying issues. There was general acceptance by the Member States of the European Union of the HLG's recommendations and four Regulations subsequently came into effect in April 2004. These are:


EC legislation in the field of air traffic management continues to develop. The legislative development process is being supported in a number of areas by Eurocontrol. Eurocontrol is involved in the development of a number of implementing rules on the basis of mandates from the European Commission.

Single European Sky II (SES II)


The European Commission has developed a second package of SES legislation (SES II) with focus on the following four areas.