Performance measures of the SESAR Southwest functional airspace block

To face the challenges of the increasing air traffic demand the ICAO proposed the Performance Based Approach (PBA) as the methodology to apply for the modernization of the Air Traffic Management (ATM). Improvements for enhancing the en route air traffic efficiency include more direct route options and flexible airspace structures. In Europe airspace structures are fragmented by State boundaries avoiding cross-border sector configurations. Functional Airspace Blocks (FAB) are operational instruments of SESAR to facilitate the implementation of the Essential Operational Changes. In the Southwest FAB the plan to introduce Free Route Airspace (FRA) across States is the main change foreseen. The Southwest FAB comprises Portuguese and Spanish airspaces and with the FRA there will be no longer discrete crossing points. The relevance of SW FAB is due to its geographical situation, being one of the most important interconnection nodes for the American transatlantic flights and the European northern–southern corridor. In the paper we provide some measures of the expected benefits of introducing the FRA in Southwest FAB. The aim of the measures is to be useful for the performance analysis of the Southwest FAB development and the FRA already started in May 2014.