Air Traffic Flow Management in Croatia – Possibilities of International Airways
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S. Steiner, J. Božičević, Č. Ivaković
University of Zagreb – Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering
Mrs. Sanja Steiner, Ph.D. is assistant professor at University of Zagreb – Faculty of
Transport and Traffic Engineering, and head of Chair of Air Traffic Engineering and
Safety. She is engaged in numerous scientific projects regarding national traffic system
development.
Mr. Josip Božičević, Ph.D. is professor at University of Zagreb – Faculty of Transport
and Traffic Engineering where he has was Dean over several mandates. He was the
Minister of Traffic and Communications in the first Croatian Government (1991/1992),
and is at present a counsellor of Croatian Prime Minister for strategic questions of traffic
development. He is full member and member of the Presidency of Croatian Academy of
Sciences and Arts.
Mr. Čedomir Ivaković, Ph.D. is professor and at present the Dean of Faculty of
Transport and Traffic Engineering. He co-ordinates the scientific research projects in the
field of traffic sciences for Ministry of Science and Technology of Croatia.
Overview
By analysing the air traffic flows dynamics within Europe and the actual traffic load on
international air routes within the European network, the traffic isolation of the Croatian
airspace becomes evident. The strategic orientation of Croatia towards European
integration dictates also a harmonised traffic policy. This includes connecting and coordinating of development plans with Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina as an
optimal option of reintegration into the international air routes system, i.e. co-ordinated
requirements regarding reestablishment of air corridors, as well as the possible marking
out of the new air routes. The preconditions for air traffic development in Croatia and
reintegration into the system of air traffic flows are based on the favourable geo-traffic
position, i.e. interest of the international operators to use the shortest routes, and on the
readiness of Croatia to co-operate in the projects of harmonising and integrating the air
traffic control system in Europe.
The paper analyses the guidelines regarding air traffic development in Croatia within the
context of integration processes of the European countries, which has been articulated by
the EATCHIP and EATMS project as a unique European air traffic management. The
positive projection of the development is based on the reintegration of the existing
international air routes (overflights) with the Croatian interests from the geo-traffic aspect
mostly overlapping with the interests of Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Beside,
there are many arguments for assessment justification of tracing new Adriatic corridor on
the Croatian coastline.
Air Traffic Development in Croatia – conceptual guidelines
Development strategy is focused on the basic items - infrastructure, which includes
airports, air traffic control system and fleet, administrative structure, standardisation and
personnel potential, as well as aspect of air traffic flow management.
There are seven international airports, providing instrumental approach and tree smaller
ones for referent aircraft up to fifty seats. There are also numerous small airports for noncommercial purposes.
Many airports are located along the coast, a main airport and flag carrier base being
Zagreb, capital of Croatia.
Beside air traffic control system, airports have been especially damaged during the recent
war, tree of them completely destroyed (Dubrovnik, Split and Zadar). Osijek Airport is
still out of exploitation. Currently, almost all existing airports are more or less being
reconstructed and modernised.
The Area planning strategy foresees possible locations for minor airports, and the final
decisions regarding locating and construction need to take into consideration the findings
and conclusions of the feasibility studies. Regarding the needs for satisfying the increased
traffic demand during tourist season as well as projections of demographic and economic
development plans of the traffic isolated regions, primarily the Adriatic islands, the
possibilities of locating VTOL and hydro-ports need to be analysed. As well as economic
justification of exploiting the non-conventional aircraft. Ecological aspects, especially
imposed in tourist attractive region, such as Adriatic islands, would additionally
contribute to the mentioned development option.
In January 1996, ICAO formally confirmed full authority of Croatia within the flight
information region - FIR Zagreb (EUR Air Navigation Plan - Doc. 7754), that is, the
authority of the area control center Zagreb for flights in the Croatian airspace and over a
part of the Adriatic high sea.
Croatian Air Traffic Control Authority is EUROCONTROL member since 1997 and has
been commercialised last year by accepting the Act on the Foundation of the Croatian
Control.
The development guidelines of the national air traffic control system are marked by
integration into a unique technical system of the European air traffic control with the
compatible institutional organisation (on a commercial basis) and technical and
procedural harmonisation i.e. modernisation of communication, navigation and radar
devices. In this sense Croatia is participating in relevant European projects, primarily in
EATCHIP and CEATS.
Croatia Airlines was established in 1992 as National air carrier, B 737s were bought and
civil air transportation renewed. Beside flag carrier there are several private operators
with pass/mail/cargo services.
Croatia Airlines is operating AIRBUS A 320, A 319, Boeing 737 and ATR 42, which are
JAR/FAR certified. Maintenance of this fleet is in accordance to JAR standards, since
there is implemented "contracted maintenance system" with Lufthansa.
Croatia Airlines maintenance and certifying staff has been trained in Airbus and
Lufthansa Training centers. Today, they perform A, B and recently for the first time C
check.
The development of air carrier fleet in Croatia is related to the gradual elimination of
aircraft of national carrier, which do not satisfy the noise standards in the international
traffic, and progressive introduction of a new “Chapter 3” generation - mid- and longrange aircraft. In domestic flights, the fleet development should be directed towards
intensifying the small- and mid-size aviation, which would justify regular flight
connections between the Adriatic airports.
Recognised as independent state by UN in 1992, Croatia has joined membership of ICAO
and ECAC as well.
Administration has been restructured last year in new Civil Aviation Authority. At
present, there are tree main department - Department of Legal and International Affairs,
Department of Airports and Department of Standardisation and Flight Safety.
Autonomous department of aviation inspection also needs to be planned. It would be
reasonable to foresee separate activity of the advisory board (of scientific profile) at the
government level with aviation safety mission.
Because of centralised character of the civil aviation administration and inferior position
within the air traffic system of the former state, Croatia encountered also a general
disorder in the aviation regulation. By becoming a member of ICAO, ECAC and
EUROCONTROL, Croatia also accepted the obligations of harmonising the national
aviation regulations. In accordance with the strategic orientation of Croatia toward EuroAtlantic integration, the implementation of the European aviation standards (Joint
Aviation Requirements) has been foreseen as a precondition for joining the JAA.
During 1998, the basic acts have been accepted - Air Traffic Act and Act on Obligatory
and Legal Relations in Air Traffic. Harmonisation process and formal international
standards implementation (JARs) will be provided through subordinate legal regulations
and related documents.
Training courses for aviation personnel – civil and military pilots as well as air traffic
controllers, have been organised since 1992 at the Faculty of Transport and Traffic
Engineering – Department of Aeronautics, University of Zagreb. The training curricula
are in accordance with the ICAO standards, whose minimum requirements have been
incorporated in the specific conditions of the Croatian higher education (legal provisions
related to scientific and research studies, i.e. verification of the study curricula). Croatia
Airlines and aircraft manufacturers perform additional flight crew training. A plan to
upgrade the existing training centre (up to professional license with IFR rating) for
service common European market needs to be analysed because of Adriatic airports
incapacity during the winter period and favourable climate conditions.
Air Traffic Flow Management
The pre-war period was marked by regular international air flows for overflying traffic
through the Croatian airspace. The international air traffic along several frequent air
routes amounted to an average of 1,000 to peak 1,600 overflights daily. There were ca.
220 thousand overflights in 1990.
During war, the international air traffic routes were redirected over the neighboring
countries airspace. The international air traffic network in Croatia was thus, completely
excluded from the international air traffic system, and this unnatural isolation of the
Croatian airspace, regarding geo-traffic aspect, continued after the war as well.
In March 1997, on the initiative of the international community, a temporary trilateral
agreement on co-ordination (Letter of Agreement) between the air traffic control Zagreb
and Belgrade with SFOR was signed regarding opening of air routes for overflights in the
upper airspace of Bosnia and Herzegovina (UB5, UB1, UB4, UG23).
These routes, however, have not been significantly operationalised in practice, and the
majority of aircraft in overflying between North-western Europe and South-eastern
Europe (and the Near and Far East) continue using air routes outside Croatian aerospace.
As implications, besides actual flight delays the mileage and flight duration are
significantly increased, as well as exploitation costs of the international operators.
In 1998 only one of the mentioned airways through the Croatian airspace was used. There
were approximately 80 thousand overflights.
It should be pointed out that Croatia is a full member of ICAO, as well as of the
European aviation associations ECAC and EUROCONTROL, and that Croatia
participates in the relevant projects, e.g. EATCHIP and CEATS (Central European Air
Traffic Services).
It would, therefore, logically follow that precisely the mentioned organisations would
contribute most to the reintegration of Croatia into the international air traffic system.
They would reactivate the existing air routes in Croatia, since the overflight charges over
CRCO (Central Route Charges Office) would provide the source of allocated funds for
modernisation of the CNS system and investment into the necessary air traffic
infrastructure in Croatia. This would also provide a positive “feedback” from the point of
view of Croatian participation in the European integration programs (EATCHIP,
EATMS, ATM 2000+).
Recently, the escalation of Kosovo cries has again effected negatively the air traffic in
Croatia with 90 % traffic decrease.
From the aspect of geo-traffic connections, the explication of air traffic development
guidelines in Croatia necessarily includes the unsolved problem of exploiting air traffic in
the neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina. Specific problems of air traffic development
in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that have resulted from the war in this region, but also due to
problems of the triple administration (at government level, at the Federation level and at
the level of the Republic of Serbia) are manifested in the impossibility to operationalise
an integrated aviation administration, including the reintegration of Bosnia and
Herzegovina into the system of international air traffic flows. This example shows clearly
the inertia of the European aviation associations in the attempt of finding a suitable
solution, primarily for the international operators, and then for a harmonised development
of air traffic in Europe.
Apart from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the reactivation of the existing
international air routes lies also within the interests of Slovenia, whose airspace is mostly
isolated from the traffic point of view, and partly delegated to the authority of the
Austrian air traffic control (the Mura region).
Therefore, a synchronised engagement of these countries would mean a lot in solving the
operational problems of the existing international air routes, and especially a common
strategy within ICAO-EANPG (European Air Navigation Planning Group), a coordination body for aviation planning, development and legislation in the region of
Europe and the countries of former USSR, as well as in co-ordination of development
plans of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. From the geo-traffic aspect, the
interests of Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina also overlap in issues
regarding possible marking out of new international air corridors within the international
initiative of traffic connecting the Baltic and the Adriatic (Mediterranean).
“Adriatic Corridor”
The positive development projection is based on the reintegration of the existing
international air routes (overflights), but also on the assumptions of tracing a new
corridor - the Adriatic.
On the map of the European airspace, it is evident that the link between London and
Athens naturally covers precisely the Croatian coastline and this would be the basis for
the Adriatic corridor tracing.
Adriatic corridor would contribute in a wider region to a more rational usage of geotraffic facilities and take the load of the existing European corridors. From the aspect of
geo-traffic position, the Croatian airspace provides the possibility of choosing the shortest
air routes between North-west Europe and the Near East.
References
1. Steiner, S., Galović, B., Ivaković, Č.: Croatian ATC System Development within
European Integration Programmes. 43rd Annual Air Traffic Control Association
Conference Proceedings, Atlantic City, New Jersey USA, November 1-5,1998, p.
223-227.
2. Steiner, S., Radačić, Ž., Pavlin, S.: Croatian Air Traffic in the Integration Process of
the Countries of 21st Century Europe. Promet-Traffic-Traffico – Scientific Technical
Journal for Traffic Theory and Practice, Vol. 11, Portorož, Trieste, Zagreb, No. 2-3,
1999, p. 179-183.