15 years after the Crisis in Kosovo the airspace has been re-opened above that area. NATO requested Hungary to manage that air corridor, thus its air traffic has already been controlled from Budapest– HVG reported.
The reopening of the airspace may decrease the flight paths which increase the economic efficiency of the operation of airspace users. Annually 180.000 flights flying in this air corridor are expected to fly 370 thousand nautical miles less which means € 18 million savings in the maintaining costs. Due to the shorter flight time, the yearly consumption of the kerosene will be 24.000 tons less and it can reduce the carbon dioxide emission by 75.000 tons.
Hungarian air traffic controllers take active part in the development of the technical and operative airspace services. Hungarians have already made many air-simulation exercises in the Research and Development Department of the HungaroControl Centre to ensure the quick and smooth air transport among the not neighbouring countries as well.
The final opening of the overflying traffic of Aviation Area of Kosovo takes two months, thus the aviation area will entirely be used by early June, 2014 – 15 years after the end of the Crisis in Kosovo. The first flight flying through the re-opened air corridor was the Tel-Aviv-Zurich plane by the Swiss airline. Interestingly, the total journey of this Airbus A321 plane can be followed on the Flightradar24.com website.
based on article of hvg.hu
by Valentina Leanyfalvi
Photo: legikozlekedes.hm.gov.hu