The long-discussed Single European Sky 2+ (SES2+) regulation has finally been adopted after more than a decade of negotiations, political wrangling, and compromise. Published on 11 November 2024 as Regulation (EU) 2024/2803, this marks the culmination of a journey that began in 2013 when the European Commission first presented the SES2+ proposal.
While celebrated publicly as a significant milestone for European aviation, SES2+ provides the long awaited new baseline framework regulation. However, it falls short of addressing the fundamental operational challenges plaguing Europe’s fragmented airspace.
Regulatory Evolution
SES2+ consolidates and updates previous SES regulations into a single framework whilst removing overlaps with the EASA Basic Regulation. It introduces several structural changes, including:
- More choice for air navigation service providers on how to organise service provision, including the option to buy services on the market. This is coupled with the legal changes needed to enable the emergence of a market for support services (data, communications, meteorology, radars, etc.). This environment will open the door to more innovative services across borders within the EU internal market. It will also make it possible to reduce the duplication of infrastructure between Member States.
- Streamlined economic regulation, coupled with a permanent and independent Performance Review Board to advise the Commission.
- Price regulation for the monopoly upstream services needed to manage drone traffic.
- Stronger independence requirements for the national regulators from air navigation service providers (regulated entities).
- Enhancing the Network Manager’s coordination capabilities, that also coordinates and supports the deployment of network infrastructure
- Introducing a link with the SESAR project, highlighting SESAR JU and SESAR DM roles in ATM research, development, the deployment coordination with the Network Manager, and improved synchronisation between development and implementation activities.
Operationalising SES2+: The Regulatory Path Ahead
A suite of implementing regulations (IR) will be needed to operationalise the SES2+ framework, covering various aspects including performance and charging scheme, and network functions. A most anticipated implementing regulation will be the Network Functions IR, which will detail the execution of network functions, the appointment of the Network Manager, and the governance of the network.
The new PRB is established directly by the SES2+ regulation and is expected to begin operations in the second half of 2025, supported by a secretariat provided by the Commission. The regulation also establishes a National Supervisory Authorities Cooperation Board to facilitate information exchange and cooperation between national authorities.
Operationalising the Framework
While SES2+ provides a modernised regulatory framework, it doesn’t address the fundamental tension between national sovereignty and the need for cross-border cooperation.
The regulation promotes technological initiatives from SESAR, however no stronger governance mechanisms to ensure timely implementation across all member states. Past experience has shown that technical capabilities often outpace organisations´ willingness to adopt them.
Updating outdated regulations is necessary, and the regulation provides tools for collaboration. The regulation’s key achievement is providing an updated legal framework rather than delivering transformative change to European ATM operations.
The release of the new European SESAR Masterplan “making Europe the most efficient and environmentally friendly sky to fly in the world” comes at a crucial time to accelerate the needed technological and operational transformations, complementing SES2+.
2025 Capacity Concerns: Beyond Regulation
The reality facing the industry, which will likely be scrutinised by heightened public awareness, is that approval of SES2+ will not impact operations for the upcoming summer 2025 season, when Europe’s airspace is once again expected to face severe capacity constraints. The anticipated “capacity crunch” will likely result again in substantial delays despite the regulatory update.
Operational stakeholders—airlines, ANSPs, airports, and the Network Manager—will need to intensify their collaboration outside the regulatory framework to mitigate these challenges. Joint preparations have started here already. Ad hoc operational solutions and voluntary coordination initiatives will remain essential to managing traffic flows efficiently. Moreover, the “blockage of SES2+” can no longer be attributed to any single stakeholder and blamed for delays.
Outlook
The regulation’s longer-term impact will depend on stakeholders’ willingness to embrace its collaborative spirit beyond minimum compliance requirements. Without genuine commitment to operational integration, SES2+ will struggle to deliver the substantial operational improvements the European ATM network urgently needs. Operational cooperation, data sharing, and collaborative decision-making must transcend the boundaries of what any framework regulation can mandate to achieve meaningful progress.
The forthcoming discussions surrounding Implementing Regulations and the evolution of the Performance Review Board will test the resolve of all involved partners and Member States. Collectively, they face the challenge of delivering against heightened expectations from both the public and the policymakers that SES2+ approval has indeed advanced the vision of an efficient Single European Sky closer to reality. Success will ultimately be measured not by regulatory compliance but by tangible improvements in airspace efficiency, capacity, sustainability, and resilience.
This article is part of our series about the SES regulatory framework and the changes ahead. Read the introduction to our SES series here. In subsequent articles, we will examine specific aspects of the SES2+ regulation and stakeholder expectations in greater detail.
