Press Release
Borealis Free Route Airspace programme wins European funding
23-02-2016
The Borealis Alliance has been awarded €6.5million to support its programme to deliver Free Route Airspace across Northern Europe. The programme, which will enable airlines to plan and fly their preferred routes across the whole of Northern Europe by 2021, saving significant time, fuel and money, was awarded the money as part of the 2014 European Commission INEA (Innovation and Networks Executive Agency) funding round.
The Borealis Free Route Airspace programme will create seamless and integrated free route airspace extending from the eastern boundary of the North Atlantic to the western boundary of Russian airspace in the North of Europe. As a result of the programme, airlines will in future be able to plan and take the most cost effective, fuel efficient and timely routes across the entire airspace managed by Borealis members rather than following pre-defined ‘routes’ within each member country’s airspace, marking a significant step towards the European Commission’s vision to create a Single European Sky.
The programme will build on work initiated through the three existing Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs) – the Danish-Swedish, UK-Ireland and North European FABs – and the North European Free Route Airspace (NEFRA) programme, but is voluntarily being expanded by the Air Navigation Service Providers of the nine Alliance members to maximise the benefits for customers.
INEA awarded the funds through its Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), which supports SESAR-related activities that contribute to the development of high performing, sustainable and efficiently interconnected trans-European networks.
Notes to editors
For further information please contact jevon.snell@nats.co.uk / +44 1489 61 6038
// 23 February 2016 //
