Leading aviation consultancy Helios has been appointed to support the project management office of Danube FAB.
The governments of Bulgaria and Romania, together with their respective national supervisory authorities and air navigation service providers BULATSA and ROMATSA, are currently working on the creation of a functional airspace block, "Danube FAB” following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding last year.
The two countries want to ensure implementation of the FAB is achieved by December 2012 – the deadline set by the latest package of Single European Sky legislation. They recognise the benefits to aviation and other stakeholders that cooperation in a FAB will bring.
Commenting on the contract win, Helios Chairman Dr Mike Shorthose said: “We are delighted to have been chosen by Danube FAB and very enthusiastic about working together. We were the first consultancy to look at FABs after the enactment of the Single European Sky legislation. Since then we have supported twenty-four ANSPs on projects to build FABs in European airspace. This hands-on experience together with our willingness to base senior consultants in Bucharest and Sofia backed up by our larger team in the UK were important aspects of our bid.”
Mr Bogdan Donciu, Director General of ROMATSA said: “We are determined to meet the requirements of the legislation and very much welcome the support of Helios, which has an excellent reputation in this field. We are looking forward to working with them on this project.” And Mr Diyan Dinev, Director General of BULATSA added: “Their work includes planning, assignment of work to Working Groups, resource management, risk management, and reporting to all concerned parties. Indeed effective communication will be an early priority for us all.”