Media

13 January 2010: Airlines will use less fuel, passengers will spend fewer hours in the air and the environment will benefit from reduced CO2 emissions following the introduction, in December, of a new system to streamline air traffic management.

Developed by the Irish Aviation Authority with other international air traffic agencies, the ENSURE* project removes the myriad of outdated air routes and allows airlines to plan their flights to route directly through Irish airspace.

ENSURE - En-Route Shannon Upper Airspace Re-Design - is expected to make significant saving in 2010 including: 2.2 million kilometres; 14,800 tonnes of fuel; 46,800 tonnes of CO2; and 195,500 minutes of flight time.

IAA chief executive Mr. Eamonn Brennan said that this IAA initiative clearly demonstrated the Authority's commitment to streamlining its air traffic control services to improve the productivity and profitability of airlines.

"In simple terms, ENSURE cuts out the old ‘zig-zag' flight paths and offers airlines a straight forward point-to-point route when they fly over Irish airspace.

We rely solely on the airline industry for our funding. So it is vital that we provide value for money. This IAA innovative system will reduce costs, maintain the high safety standards and contribute positively to the environment. I commend all staff involved in this project from conception through to implementation," he said.

Irish Aviation Authority is responsible for air traffic management services in 500,000 square kilometres of Irish controlled airspace. Even in the current economic downturn when fewer aircraft are flying, this accounts for approximately 1000 aircraft flying through its airspace every 24 hours. The changes brought about by ENSURE are the biggest in the European air route structure this year and improve the service for both eastbound and westbound flights. 

ENDS