Single European Sky vision: Increase capacity 3 times, reduction of ATM cost by half and ensuring improvement of safety by 10 times – how to satisfy this goal in safety area?

Abstract Despite of expected growth of traffic from 1.75 % up to 2.4 % in period 2010 - 2050 in the airspace of Europe (Eurocontrol/STATFOR) there is still the need to ensure high level of safety performance. The main goal – safe provision of Air Traffic Services and its achievement should be ensured by achievement of performance targets set by European commission for different reference period (RP) - RP 1 for years 2012-2014, RP 2 for years 2015-2019 and for RP3 for years 2020-2024.The performance targets should contribute to sustainable development of the air transport system by improving the air navigation services delivery across the key performance areas of safety, environment, capacity and cost-efficiency. In RP 2 the key performance indicators for safety were defined: effectiveness of safety management system, the application of severity classification for the reported occurrences in air traffic by using Risk Analysis Tool (RAT) and adoption of just culture principles. The last mid-air collision with direct contribution of Air Navigation Service Provider in Europe happened in 2002. After this year there is no record about accident directly caused by ANSP. Does it mean we have reached the maximum safety level? How we can improve in area of safety management system when lagging indicators such as accidents are missing? How we can define areas for potential improvement? This article is focused on new approach in the measurement of safety management system (SMS) development which provides a structured approach to control safety risks in operations. The ATM safety management maturity measurement tool will provide a comprehensive picture to management of the organization in which area is necessary to improve and in which area the maximum potential was achieved. The effectiveness of the safety management have to take into account the organization’s specific structures and processes related to safety of operations.