@ SloeMoe,
you just started the Thread of future. This is the most important question for future ANSPs and air carriers. As someone who is highly involved in such question and trying to rise attention within system but it is going very slowly. If I am honest i should say,it sounds like there is no chance to do it,but mother nature is the only factor. They will go to pension and then we will do it.
This is the list of things that are the main constraints to more effective direct routing :
- Too much military presence. things changes a little bit with FUA concept but it is hard to work with them. you should explain to France Air force generals that they should avoid some areas during mid summer. (FAF is only example nothing better,nothing worse than others).
- As I said some people from management level must go to pension.
-Also ANSPs and air carriers must seat down on table and start to work together.
-Regional cooperation is good but we need European level.
-oil is still not too expensive. Action could be expected at level of 200$/barrel
- More sectors in Europe ,doesn't mean more direct routes. Why? Because ,one sector(big one) manned by one /two ATCOs could decide without any coordination any direct routing within their sector. If you divide this sector on two/three sectors for the same direct routing ATCo from first sector should make big coordination with adjacent sectors in order to give direct routing. And sometimes,you can't do proper coordination for such action and a/c will fly point by point,not DCT.
- If sector is too big than is too much complexity over EXE ATCO so he/she is not able to give the most fuel efficient route,because he/she has lot of other duties.. In such cases you will see more common option among ATCOs( keeping their license rather than traffic efficiency). Nothing bad with this. it is so natural.
-EC has SAAM tool that could help in such problems(designing proper sectors) but this is only tool, and not quite accepted but users.
-No one still is designated as institutional leader -for such question.
How big is that problem read this story:
-On some local route(500 Nm) ,crew often REFUSED DCT routing even this could reduce track distance by at least 150 Nm. Why? Because,if they accepted shorter route it means that they will reduce flight time and there is no enough time for flight attendants to serve food and drinks to passengers. Believe or not!
-Even Europe is becoming one state(more and less) at RNDGS meetings you will hear a lot of "local" political interests that block any improvement. You need approval from many parties for any new route because Europe is still fragmented, and if something is good for Greece it doesn't mean that it wouldn't destroy vital national interests of Sweden(again only example)
- a lot of work is ahead of us,and administration is always afraid of work.
- if you have ever spent a day within ATC you will know how big
are HRMs . So no chance that something will happen in terms of staffing level in long term future.
- More and more issues but I have to go....
Best regards,