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2006-11-01 |
| Europe - CFS |
The Collaborative Forum of Air Transport Stakeholders (CFS) was set up in 2001. It included the major air transport players in Europe including air navigation services providers, airport managers, aircraft operators and regulators in European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) Member States. It was created when air transport stakeholders in Europe recognised that the solution to addressing infrastructure and air transport capacity problems required a joint collaborative approach with an understanding of all parties' problems and challenges. The purpose was to work with governments to make them understand the urgency for the right decisions to be taken on infrastructure issues and matters affecting air transport's growth.
Origins of the CFS
In January 2000, the European Ministers of Transport endorsed a report on constraints to growth at the MATSE/6 meeting and re-affirmed the need to explore the growing capacity-demand issues facing air transport. They requested that ECAC and EUROCONTROL undertake a detailed study of the issues.
"Accommodating" air transport demand
A modelling study was undertaken that focused on ways to accommodate air transport demand in a sustainable way. The study provided some alarming findings: it forecast that air transport in Europe would face gridlock in the air and on the ground by 2005 and that by 2015, the European air traffic system would simply not be able to cope at all with 25% of demand.
Given the magnitude of these anticipated problems, ECAC recommended the establishment of a new forum to increase cooperation amongst industry players. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) outlined its vision for such a forum – where major stakeholders from airports, airspace users, air navigation services providers and regulators could meet at regular intervals to strategically review the future of Europe's air transport infrastructure, taking account of environmental and intermodal aspects. Thus, the concept of the "Collaborative Forum of Stakeholders" (CFS) was born. This was a new "supportive" approach by industry that brought together all players with equal participation in a spirit of collaboration - while enabling an understanding of all parties' problems and promoting industry solidarity rather than perpetuating the usual approach of blaming each other for problems.
Collaborative action by the industry
The CFS met for the first time on 22 March 2001 under the Chairmanship of ECAC with representation at the highest level. The ECAC study findings, although daunting, were accepted and the forum recognised that the air transport industry's role in helping to drive economic development in Europe could only be maintained if workable and sustainable solutions were found to reduce capacity shortages.
Defining solutions to capacity problems
A high level CFS Task Force under the chairmanship of ATAG was then given the target to research and propose sustainable solutions to capacity problems. This Task Force spent nine months exploring in detail the barriers to air transport's growth in Europe. The effects of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks were taken into account. The consensus was that discussions with governments should not be delayed, especially as a large number of infrastructure improvements would only have positive effects on air transport’s growth in the medium to long-term – once air transport operations in Europe would eventually have returned to normal.
CFS 8-Point Action Plan
In February 2002, the CFS put forward an 8-point action plan aimed at achieving positive results through joint cooperation between European governments and institutions according to set deadlines. The action plan is set out in a CFS brochure entitled "Overcoming air transport capacity problems in Europe" available in English, French and Spanish).
A number of groups comprising CFS representatives worked in 2003 to progress each of the eight action areas in order to achieve unanimous commitment from all stakeholders to endorse a set of specific and concrete recommendations and to act towards their implementation.
In addition, a communications groups was created to coordinate and harmonise the European air transport industry's key messages on infrastructure and enviromental issues. This group produced a common CFS flyer "Fast Facts" detailing the industry's key facts and figures.
Conclusion
ATAG presented the CFS findings to the DGCAs of ECAC in May 2003 at the ECAC Triennial Conference. It was then decided to officially disband the CFS since it had completed its demanding task. The CFS represents a success story for the aviation industry since it is the first time in Europe, that regulators, infrastructure providers and airspace users have worked closely together with a common understanding of their respective problems. It would not be reasonable to expect all air transport capacity problems to be solved in 24 hours, but collaboration and solidarity among all players now pave the way for a sustainable aviation in Europe.
For further information about the CFS, please contact Philippe Rochat
CFS members
ACI EUROPE – Airports Council International - Europe
AEA – Association of European Airlines
ATAG – Air Transport Action Group
CANSO – Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation
EBAA – European Business Aviation Association
ERA – European Regions Airline Association
EUROCONTROL – European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation
IACA – International Air Carrier Association
IATA – International Air Transport Association
CFS Observers
ECAC – European Civil Aviation Conference
European Commission
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