Global air traffic will continue to grow. As well as fuel-efficient aircraft and investment in synthetic fuels, sustainable air traffic urgently needs a reform of air traffic management (ATM) in Europe. A Schengen of the skies is as overdue as it is complex. It touches on questions of national sovereignty. Solutions must be found in an interaction between all national and European players and in dialogue with the industry.

To create the conditions for an efficient and lower emission use of air space, the federal government should use its presidency of the EU Council to bring about the necessary breakthrough in SES together with the European institutions and the other member states. Airlines, airports and air traffic control want to help to bring this major climate policy project to success. There are three central tasks:

• Making efficient use of air space: Germany’s air traffic control works hard at getting planes to their destinations without any diversions where possible. And with great success. Between 2010 and 2018, the deviation from the ideal line fell by a third. As a result, in 2018 alone 76,000 tonnes less CO₂ were emitted in German air space. To achieve comparable results on European international routes, the air space structures will need to be harmonised.
   
• Introducing interoperable air traffic control systems: Some of the technologies used by air traffic controllers in Europe date back to the 1970s and are therefore outdated. The automated division of labour with colleagues from neighbouring countries all too often fails due to incompatible systems. There is an urgent need for improvement here and we must press ahead with the necessary modernisation.
   
• Making the Ways of Deploying Air Traffic Controllers More Flexible and Increasing their Availability: Some air traffic control systems in Europe have too few air traffic controllers, especially in the upper air spaces. Therefore, this year thousands of routes are planned in the lower air space to relieve the upper air spaces – the kerosene consumption will therefore rise by an average of 60 kilograms per internal flight in Germany. To compensate for acute staff shortages in individual control centres, work must concentrate on deploying air traffic controllers more flexibly.